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WITH    FLASH-LIGHT 
AND   RIFLE 


PHOTOGRAPHING  BY  FLASH-LIGHT  AT  NIGHT 

THE    WILD    ANIMAL    WORLD    OF 

EQUATORIAL    AFRICA 


BY 

C,    G.    SCHILLINGS 


TRANSLATED   AND    ABRIDGED 

BY 

HENRY   ZICK,  Ph.D. 


j>, ',  > »  •. 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS  PUBLISHERS 

FRANKLIN  SQUARE  NEW  YORK 

M  C  M  V 


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TRANSLATOR'S    PREFACE 


IN  translating  Dr.  Schillings's  work  my  endeavor  has 
])een  to  adhere  as  closely  as  possible  to  the  original, 
in  order  to  preserve  the  freshness  and  virility  of  the 
author's  touch,  and  to  show  how  quick  his  resources 
in  positions  of  grave  danger,  and  how  his  indomitable 
courage  and  ingenuity  enabled  him  to  overcome  appar- 
ently insurmountable  obstacles.  I  have  taken  the 
liberty  of  omitting  certain  portions  of  the  narrative 
that  were  somewhat  in  the  nature  of  repetitions,  or  of 
little  interest  to  American  readers,  but  I  have  preserved 
faithfully  all  that  was  vital  and  essential  in  the  story 
of  his  marvellous  adventures  while  studying  the  habits 
of  the  animals  of  the  African  wilderness. 

Henry  Zick 


27()(>27 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 


II. 

III. 

IV. 
V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII, 


PAGE 

Author's  Preface xi 

The    Tragedy    in    the     Path     of    Progress    and 

Civilization i 

Camera  Shots  at  Big  and  Small  Game    ....  ii 

The  Soul-Life  of  Animals 24 

The  Masai-Nyika 29 

Steppe-Fires 35 

Journeying    with    Prince    Loewenstein    to    the 

Kilimanjaro 41 

On  the  Shores  of  the  Ndjiri  Lakes 55 

Evening  in  the  Swamps 67 

By  the  Brook 71 

The  African  Elephant 82 

Hunting  the  Elephant 100 

The  Rhinoceros 118 

Capturing  the  Rhinoceros 140 

The  Hippopotamus '5° 

Buffaloes  and  Crocodiles 163 

The  Giraffe 176 

Zebras 187 

Lions i<)7 

V 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIX.  A  Lion-Hunt , 209 

XX.  Further  Adventures  with  Lions 221 

XXI.  The  Leopard 233 

XXII.  Hunting-Dogs,  Lynxes,  Cats,  and  Others     .     .  245 

XXIII.  Earth -Hogs,     Porcupines,     Wild     Hogs,     and 

Smaller  Mammals 255 

XXIV.  Hyenas  and  Jackals 264 

XXV.  Antelopes  of  East  Africa 278 

XXVI.  Gazelles   and   Other  Small  Antelopes     .     .     .  304 

XXVII.  Monkeys 318 

XXVIII.  Stalking  in  the  Nyika 333 

XXIX.  On  the  Stand  at  Night 364 

XXX.  Travelling  under   Difficulties 369 

XXXI.  Game  Laws  and  the  Protection  of  Wild  Animals  395 

XXXII.  Hunting  by  the  Natives 403 

XXXIII.  The  Masai:   a  Warlike  People  of  Herdsmen     .  413 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

C.    G.    SCHILLINGS Frontispiece 

STOREHOUSE    OF    ELEPHANT    TUSKS    AND    RHINOCEROS    HORNS         .  3 

WEATHER-WORN    ELEPHANT    SKELETON  7 

NILE    GEESE    IN    FLIGHT 12 

RESTING    ON    THE    PLAINS 14 

THE    author's    CAMP l6 

LIONESS    ABOUT    TO    SPRING    ON    AN    OX 20 

THE    LIONESS,   DISTURBED    BY    THE    FLASH-LIGHT    IN    THE    MIDDLE 

OF    HER    LEAP,   TURNS    ASIDE    WITHOUT    TOUCHING    THE    OX   .  21 

EUROPEAN    STORKS    IN    AFRICA 25 

THE    COOK    AND    HIS    FRIENDS    THE    MARABOU    STORKS    ....  27' 

IN    THE    MASAI    COUNTRY 29 

FAVORITE    WATERING-PLACE    FOR    ELEPHANT    AND    RHINOCEROS.  31 

KILIMANJARO SIX     THOUSAND     AND     TEN     METRES     ABOVE     SEA- 

LEVEI 5;, 

VULTURES    OVERLOOKING    THE    CAMP 36 

A    HERD    OF    GRANT    GAZELLES 3^ 

GRANT    GAZELLES    ON    THE    MARCH 39 

DRILLING     MY     ASKARIS 42 

PRINCE    JOHN     LOEWENSTEIN     AND    THIv    AUTHOR 44 

CORMORANTS    FISHING 45 

IBIS    NESTS 46 

vii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

THE    FISHING    PARTy's    RETURN 47 

THOMSON    GAZELLES,    BY    FLASH-LIGHT 48 

VULTURES    SCENTING    CARRION 50 

MOSCHI    MILITARY    STATION 53 

NILE    GEESE 56 

FLAMINGOES    IN    FLIGHT 57 

CORMORANTS    DRYING    THEIR    PLUMAGE 58 

THE  MARCH  THROUGH  THE   SWAMPS   OF  THE   NILE.        KILIMANJARO 

IN    THE    BACKGROUND 59 

NILE    GEESE    TAKING    FLIGHT 61 

VULTURE    AND    RAVEN 62 

A    HERD   OF    ZEBRAS    STARTLED    BY    THE    FLASH-LIGHT       ....  63 

VULTURES    WATCHING    THE    CAMP 65 

THE    AUTHOR    IN     HIS     TENT 68 

CRANES    FLYING 70 

MARABOUS   AND   STORKS   FEEDING   ON    GRASSHOPPERS        ....  72 

WATER-BUCKS    FEEDING 75 

ZEBRAS    ON    THEIR    WAY'    TO    THE    BROOK 77 

THE    LIONESS    FORSOOK   HER   PREY   AS   THE    FLASH-LIGHT   FLAMED  79 
BULL     ELEPHANTS     ON     THE     SIDE     OF     A     HILL     AT     A     DISTANCE 

OF    THREE    HUNDRED    METRES       83 

PROFESSIONAL    ELEPHANT    HUNTERS lOI 

HIS    LAST    CHARGE 106 

BULL     ELEPHANTS     AND     BULL     GIRAFFE DISTANCE     FOUR     HUN- 
DRED   METRES 113 

MALE    AND    FEMALE    RHINOCEROSES    BATHING II9 

MALE    AND    FEMALE    RHINOCEROSES    BATHING SIDE    VIEW         .        .  121 

THE   SPECIMEN   NOW   IN   THE   COLONIAL   MUSEUM,    BERLIN     .        .        .  I30 

FEMALE    WHITE     RHINOCEROS     WITH    CALF I33 

A    MARVEL THE    TWO    RHINOCEROSES    FELL    DEAD     SIMULTANE- 
OUSLY'        137 

WHITE     RHINOCEROS    CALF    DRINKING I4I 

INFANT    RHINOCEROS    BROUGHT    UP    ON    A    BOTTLE     '.....  145 

HIPPOPOTAMUS    IN    A    SWAMP    AT    NIGHT 152 

VULTURE    ON    SKULL    OF    A    HIPPOPOTAMUS ■       .  157 

FLAMINGOES    ON    THE    BORDER    OF    A    LAKE 169 

viii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

VULTURES     FEEDING    ON     A     BUFFALO'S     CARCASS 173 

BULL    GIRAFFE    AT    ONE    HUNDRED    METRES    DISTANCE   ....  177 

GIRAFFE    NEARING    THE    CAMERA 179 

GIRAFFES    IN    A    CLUMP    OF    ACACIAS 183 

BULL    GIRAFFE    IN    FLIGHT 185 

ZEBRA    STALLION    AND    MARE    WITH    FOAL 189 

GNUS    AND    ZEBRAS    IN    COMPANY I91 

ZEBRAS    APPROACHING    THEIR    DRINKING-PLACE 193 

ZEBRAS    SCENTING    A    LION 195 

FLOCK    OF    MARABOUS 199 

A    stork's    NEST    ON    THE    STEPPE 204 

MALE    STORK    NEAR    THE    NEST 205 

OSTRICH    NEST 207 

LIONESS     ON    THE     HUNT 211 

THREE    OLD    LIONESSES    AT    THE    BROOK 213 

SKINS    OF    THE    THREE    LIONS    SHOT    JANUARY    25,     1897^     .        .        .  217 

MY    FIFTH    LIONESS 222 

LIONESS    SPRINGING    ON    AN    ASS 225 

YOUNG    LION    CAPTURED    BY    MR.    ORGEICH 229 

AS    THE    LIONESS    KILLED   THE    OX    THE    LION    PREPARED    TO    LEAP  23I 

SPOTTED    HYENA    AND    ASS 235 

MALE     LEOPARD     AT     DRINKING-POOL 237 

MR.    ORGEICH    WITH    NEGRO    SERVANTS 241 

PRINCE    LOEWENSTEIN's    CAMP .  246 

HYENA    DRAGGING    THE    BODY    OF    A    DEAD    ASS 247 

THE    FOREST    ON    THE    PANGANI    RIVER 249 

SPOTTED    HYENAS    AND    JACKALS     252 

THE     LAFITTE     HILLS 254 

CAMP    ON    THE    PANGANI    RIVER 259 

JACKAL    ABOUT    TO    DRINK 261 

VULTURES    NEAR    THE    CAMP 265 

HV.r.NA   SCHILLINGSI  MTSCH 267 

JACKALS 269 

JACKAL    WITH    PREY 271 

SPOTTED    HYENA    APPROACHING    THE    CAMERA   273 

SPOTTED    HYENA    ABOUT    TO    ATTACK    A    GOAT 275 

ix 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

SKELETON     OF    A     RHINOCEROS 279 

WHITE-BEARDED    GNUS 281 

GNUS    APPROACHING    THE    CAMERA    THROUGH    CURIOSITY       .        .        .  283 

AN    OLD    BULL    GNU    APPROACHING    THE    RIVER 288 

ZEBRAS,      WHITE-BEARDED      GNUS,      AND      IMPALLAH      ANTELOPES 

HERDING    TOGETHER 29I 

ORYX    AND    GRANT    GAZELLES     HERDING    TOGETHER 295 

IMPALLAH     ANTELOPES     AT    THE     BROOK 297 

FEMALE     WATER-BUCK 299 

COKE    HARTBEESTS    ' 30I 

ZEBRAS,    GNUS,    ANTELOPES,    AND   GAZELLES    HERDING   TOGETHER 

A    HERD    OF    GIRAFFES    IN    THE    DISTANCE 305 

GRANT    GAZELLES 307 

GRANT    GAZELLE    BUCKS 309 

THE    GIRAFFE    GAZELLE 31I 

WHITE-TAILED    MONKEY 319 

BABOONS    ON    THE    STEPPE 325 

NEGRO    CHILD    PLAYING    WITH    A    BABOON 329 

GIRAFFES    IN    A    MIMOSA    FOREST 337 

ANTELOPES,    GNUS,    AND    ZEBRAS 339 

THE     SACRED    IBIS 342 

WHITE-BREASTED    EAGLE 343 

VULTURES    QUARRELLING 345 

MR.     ORGEICH    AND    NATIVE    ASSISTANTS 348 

VULTURES 357 

ZEBRAS 359 

LION    STALKING    AN    OX 3^7 

MY    SOLDIERS 37 1 

CARAVAN    TRAVERSING    A    MOUNTAIN     PASS 373 

BURDEN-BEARER    SINKING    IN    THE    SWAMP 381 

EAGLE    AND    GIANT    BUSTARD 39^ 

AN    OLD    LION    IN    A    SWAMP 399 

A    PART    OF    MY    CARAVAN 4^5 

MASAI    AND    ELEPHANT    SKULL 4^9 

A    MASAI    DANCE        41? 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE 


ALL  the  illustrations  in  this  book  are  reproductions 
J~\_  of  photographs  taken  by  myself. 

When  Dr.  Ludwig  Heck  characterized  my  animal 
pictures  as  "nature-documents,"  he  named  them  very 
appropriately.  They  are  reproduced  from  the  original 
plates  ^exactly  as  the  scenes  fixed  themselves  on  these  plates; 
no  attempt  has  been  made  at  retouching  or  "improving" 
them.  The  only  exception  is  the  picture  in  chapter 
XX.,  representing  two  lions  attacking  a  bull,  which  has 
been  retouched  somewhat  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner 
by  Captain  Kiesling,  in  Berlin.  The  plate  had  been 
damaged  in  the  camp  and  in  this  condition  had  been 
forwarded  to  the  captain.  Six  months  afterwards  a 
telegram  was  forwarded  to  me  in  the  wilderness,  bearing 
the  laconic,  glad  news,  "Saved." 

The  original  photographs  were  either  taken  in  the 
ordinary  way  or  at  long  distances — telephotographs — ■ 
or,  at  night,  by  means  of  artificial  light,  the  flash- 
light. 

I  often  succeeded  so  well  in  taking  pictures  by  flash- 
light that  the  animals  had  impressed  themselves,  as  it 

xi 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE 

were,  upon  the  sensitive-plates  before  they  had  become 
aware  of  the  light. 

I  want  to  emphasize  the  fact  that,  even  where  some 
pictures  show  remarkable,  extraordinary  light-effects — 
like  the  telephotographic  pictures,  showing  the  white, 
shining  tusks  of  the  male  elephants,  and  the  flash-light 
picture,  showing  the  glowing  eyes  of  the  Honess  (chapter 
xix.) — no  retouching  has  been  done.  This.feature  dis- 
tinguishes my  pictures  from  all  others  previously  taken  of 
animals  in  the  wilderness. 

The  reader  is  advised  to  view  the  pictures  which  were 
taken  from  a  distance  from  not  too  close  a  range ;  they 
show  to  better  advantage  when  they  are  held  off  a  little 
distance. 

William  Boelsche  writes  about  my  pictures  as  follows : 
"Many  pictures  have  been  taken  at  night  by  flash-light; 
they  reveal  to  us  the  most  intimate  Hfe  of  the  animals 
which  no  human  eye  had  ever  witnessed  before,  ever 
since  man  and  beast  met  in  the  wilderness.  .  .  .  Here 
nature  has  been  made  to  focus  itself  on  the  photographic 
plate.  ..." 

Professor  P.  Matschie  says:  "I  am  custodian  of  the 
collection  of  mammals  in  the  Berhn  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  and  often  have  to  pass  judgment  on  animal 
pictures.  It  gives  me  the  greatest  pleasure  to  say  that 
Schillings'  pictures  have  aroused  my  deepest  interest; 
they  constitute  the  beginning  of  a  revolution  in  our 
methods  of  observing  the  life  and  ways  of  the  animal 

xii 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE 

world.  We  are  not  any  longer  dependent  on  lucky 
chances;  the  road  opened  by  Schillings'  methods  will 
lead,  no  doubt,  to  deeper  insight  into  the  life  of  animals. 
Even  art  will  profit  by  these  documents  of  nature,  as  the 
next  art  exhibition  may  show.  ..." 

Dr.  Lampert,  of  Stuttgart,  director  of  the  Royal 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  says:  "We  know  now, 
for  the  first  time,  what  pictures  of  animals  from  life 
really  are.  Schillings'  pictures  are  of  eminent  impor- 
tance in  many  respects.  The  animal  world  of  Africa 
will  live  in  these  pictures  long  after  the  animals  have 
been  swept  from  the  earth  by  the  advance  of  man.  ..." 

My  main  motive  in  quoting  the  opinions  of  these  men, 
prominent  as  experts  in  natural  science,  is  to  encourage 
and  exhort  other  hunters  and  explorers  to  procure 
similar  "documents"  of  the  fauna,  which  I  have  not 
been  able  to  reach,  and  to  do  it  quickly  before  the 
animals  have  been  destroyed  and  our  opportunities  for 
observing  them  have  been  lost. 

In  conclusion,  I  want  to  extend  my  hearty  thanks  to 
all  who  have  aided  me,  directly  or  indirectly,  in  accom- 
plishing whatever  little  I  may  have  achieved.  I  also 
crave  the  indulgence  of  the  reader  for  my  many  short- 
comings as  a  writer.  To  write  books  seems  to  me  a 
harder  task  than  to  photograph  lions  in  the  wilderness 

C.  G.  Schillings. 

Weiherhof,  Guerzenich,  near  Duere.n'. 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT 
AND    RIFLE 


I 


THE  TRAGEDY  IN  THE  PATH  OF  PROGRESS  AND 

CIVILIZATION 

MODERN  man,  equipped  with  the  engines  and  tools 
furnished  him  by  the  inventive  genius  of  the  last 
century,  has  conquered  and  subdued  almost  the  whole 
of  our  globe.  While,  not  so  very  long  ago,  it  took  us 
months  or  even  years  to  reach  certain  far-off  countries, 
we  now,  thanks  to  a  net-work  of  railroads  and  the  ocean 
greyhounds,  travel  in  a  few  days  or  weeks  to  the  re- 
motest regions  and  the  most  distant  shores. 

Man  has  succeeded,  and  still  succeeds,  in  developing 
the  resources  of  the  earth  and  in  unfolding  its  treasures, 
battling  victoriously  with  seemingly  unconquerable  ob- 
stacles and  difficulties,  spreading  progress  and  civiliza- 
tion on  his  onward  march.  But  this  advance  is  accom- 
panied by  a  destruction  which,  though  we  may  deplore 
it,  seems  inevitable. 

Far  away  from  the  centres  of  our  civilization,   the 

I 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

hustle  and  bustle  of  our  commercial  cities,  the  noise 
Emd  stress  and  strife  of  our  manufacturing  towns,  there 
is  being  enacted,  in  our  own  days,  a  tragedy  full  of 
pathos  and  unlike  any  other.  Everything  which  blocks 
the  way  of  modern  man  on  his  relentless  march  of  con- 
quest is  crushed  without  mercy,  directly  or  indirectly. 
The  original  inhabitants  of  entire  continents,  unless 
they  are  capable  of  adapting  themselves  to  our  civiliza- 
tion, are  doomed  to  perish.  With  them  is  disappearing 
the  rich  and  beautiful  fauna  which  has  enabled  them 
to  exist,  and  which  now,  often  in  the  space  of  a  few 
years,  is  slaughtered  and  extirpated. 

At  no  other  time,  except,  of  course,  during  the  periods 
of  universal  terrestrial  catastrophes,  have  numerous 
species  of  animals,  particularly  those  excelling  in  size 
and  strength,  been  totally  destroyed.  And  the  flora, 
as  a  rule,  suffers  the  same  fate  as  the  fauna.  Primeval 
forests  are  uprooted,  or  at  least  despoiled,  and  thick- 
timbered  lands  are  changed  into  treeless,  desert  steppes. 

Civilized  man,  displacing  and  replacing  the  aborigines, 
brings  with  him  animals  from  his  own  country  which 
supplant  the  indigenous  fauna ;  and  with  the  introduc- 
tion of  new  plants,  including  weeds,  the  flora,  too, 
changes  its  character  or  gives  place  to  the  foreign  species. 

The  outcome  of  this  process  is  evident.  Civilized 
man  will  destroy  all  that  appears  to  him  harmful  or 
valueless,  and  will  try  to  preserve  only  those  animals 
and  plants  which  he  deems  useful  or  ornamental.     The 


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WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND   RIFLE 

evidences  of  this  destructive  progress  are,  unfortunate- 
ly, sufficiently  numerous.  Brief  mention  only  need  to 
be  made  of  the  North  American  Indian  and  of  many 
Polynesian  tribes. 

For  centuries  man  has  waged  a  war  of  extermination 
against  the  fur-bearing  and  the  oil-yielding  animals  of 
the  polar  regions.  Very  successful  in  this  respect  has 
been  the  activity  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  in  the 
Arctic  belt  of  North  America.  The  fur  of  a  sea-otter 
brings,  to-day,  a  snug  sum  of  money,  and,  for  many 
years  past,  it  has  been  impossible  for  museums  of  nat- 
ural history  to  secure  perfect  specimens  of  this  animal. 

The  time  is  not  far  off  when  the  story  may  be  written 
of  the  "last  of  the  whales,"  the  biggest  of  the  existing 
mammals.  Although  hunted  for  centuries,  these  oil- 
yielding  animals  have  succeeded  in  escaping  total  de- 
struction by  retreating  into  the  ice-bound  polar  sea. 
But  since  the  harpoon  has  been  superseded  by  the 
cannon  and  the  rifle,  and  the  single,  daring  whaling 
expedition  has  expanded  into  a  scientifically  prepared 
and  strategically  carried -out  campaign  by  companies 
of  capitalists,  the  death-knell  of  the  whale,  the  giant 
animal  which  is  a  fish  only  in  form,  has  been  sounded. 

The  time  is  not  far  off.  How  far  off?  It  may  be 
centuries.  But  what  do  a  few  centuries  amount  to, 
compared  with  the  aeons  it  must  have  taken  nature  to 
develop  these  giants  of  the  sea  to  their  present  perfec- 
tion!    Still  numerous  "schools"  of  whales  are  roving 

4 


PROGRESS    AND    CIVILIZATION 

in  the  icy  waters,  until  those  waters  grow  red  with  the 
heart-blood  of  these  animals,  shed  by  their  insistent 
foes.  But  soon  the  tale  of  the  death-fight  will  sound 
like  a  story  of  olden  times,  like  a  fairy  tale,  and  our 
descendants  will  view  with  astonishment,  in  museums, 
the  poor  remnants  of  an  extinct  race  of  mammals. 

What  I  have  said  of  the  whale  applies  with  equal 
force  to  many  other  species  of  animals  irredeemably 
destined  to  vanish  from  the  surface  of  the  earth. 

Only  a  few  decades  ago,  millions  of  buffaloes  grazed 
on  the  wide  prairies  of  North  America;  to-day  these 
millions  have  followed  the  shades  of  the  majority  of 
the  Indians  to  their  l^eavenly  hunting-grounds.  And 
the  reason  for  their  extirpation?  As  Dr.  Heck,  in  his 
book  The  Animal  Kingdom,  has  shown,  they  had  to 
die  because  they  endangered  the  safety  of  the  Pacific 
roads. 

So  the  millions  of  buffaloes  were  sacrificed  to  the  rail- 
roads. Still,  in  the  seventies  of  the  last  century  an 
untold  number  of  bison  hides  were  bought  and  sold ;  a 
few  hundred  bisons  now  form  the  miserable  remnants 
of  former  riches.  Without  forethought  and  against  all 
sound  reason,  these  creatures  have  been  butchered. 

Soon  a  number  of  other  beautiful  and  precious  species 
of  the  North  American  fauna  will  follow  the  fate  of  the 
bison.  President  Roosevelt  himself  has  realized  this, 
and  he  favors  all  efforts  calculated  to  delay  the  in- 
evitable. 

5 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

The  use  of  barbed-wire  fences  is  destructive  to  many 
a  species  of  deer — pre-eminently  so  in  America.  The 
Austrahan  farmer  is  the  arch-enemy  of  the  kangaroo. 
In  Asia  many  species  of  animals  will  soon  cease  to 
exist — the  rhinoceros  of  India,  the  wild  sheep,  goats, 
and  horses  of  the  central  Asiatic  plains.  The  steinbock 
has  disappeared  from  the  Alpine  heights;  only  a  few 
are  still  kept  at  Aosta,  in  the  game  preserves  of  the 
king  of  Italy.  In  Germany,  the  aurochs,  the  bison  of 
the  ancient  Teutons,  extinct  long  ago,  plays  a  part  only 
in  the  legends  of  the  "fatherland."  We  can  but  guess 
what  this  fine  animal  may  have  been  like,  so  fragmentary 
is  our  knowledge. 

The  elk,  too,  have  almost  died  out;  a  small  number 
only  survive.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  beaver, 
formerly  common  on  the  banks  of  the  Elbe. 

But  still  more  tragic  is  the  gradual  extinction  of  the 
fauna  in  South  Africa,  at  the  hands  of  the  colonizers 
and  civilizers  of  the  "Dark  Continent."  Only  a  short 
time  ago  innumerable  herds  of  all  kinds  of  wild  animals 
were  to  be  encountered  there. 

The  Boers  had  to  fight,  as  it  were,  with  the  animals 
for  every  square  mile  of  new  territory.  The  natives, 
however,  did  not  suffer  the  fate  of  the  North  American 
Indians.  The  advance  of  civilized  man  into  their  land 
did  not  destroy  them;  it  only  curtailed  their  absolute 
dominion  over  their  own  land,  crowding  them  out  alto- 
gether or  limiting  them  to  the  less-desirable  portion  of 

6 


5= 

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z 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

their  soil.  Moreover,  they  often  joined  the  European 
invaders  in  their  work  of  destruction,  becoming  ac- 
quainted with  the  use  of  fire-arms — they  became  hunt- 
ers, either  on  their  own  account  or  in  the  service  of  the 
white  trader. 

So  disappeared  from  South  Africa  the  gnu,  the  quag- 
ga,  the  bontebok,  the  mountain  zebra,  the  beautiful 
bluish  horse  -  antelope,  the  Cape  buffalo,  the  elephant, 
the  powerful  white  rhinoceros,  the  black  rhinoceros, 
the  giraffe,  the  hippopotamus,  and  the  ostrich.  Thirty 
to  forty  years  ago  these  animals  were  still  plentiful;  a 
hundred  years  ago  their  number  was  simply  fabulous. 
They  were  to  the  natives  of  South  Africa  what  the  buf- 
faloes were  to  the  American  Indians — the  chief  source 
of  food;  and,  like  the  Indians,  they  used  the  surplus, 
but  did  not  eat  up  or  destroy  the  main  supply. 

Personally  I  am  willing  to  accept  the  story  of  the 
lion  in  paradise  lying  peacefully  beside  the  lamb  as 
gospel  truth.  Are  we  not  told  by  trustworthy  explorers 
of  the  Arctic  world  that  there  the  intelligent  sea-lions, 
the  seals,  the  reindeers,  and  many  birds  approach  man 
without  a  sign  of  fear?  This  may  have  been  the  rule 
among  animals  before  man,  the  homo  sapiens,  began  to 
assert  his  supremacy  over  all  creation. 

The  experience  of  those  men  in  the  polar  desert  has 
also  been  my  own  in  the  vastness  of  tropical  Africa,  in 
the  heart  of  the  continent  which,  though  full  of  light, 
is  commonly  called  the    "dark."     Often   I   have   seen 

8 


PROGRESS    AND    CIVILIZATION 

beasts  of  prey  mingling  peacefully  with  their  more 
gentle  brothers.  AVherever  the  native  is  not  a  hunter 
and  the  animals  are  not  subjected  to  constant  pursuit, 
there  exists  a  friendly  relation  between  man  and  animal. 
There  many  animals  are  as  trusting  and  confiding  as 
with  us  the  fully  or  half  domesticated  birds  and  quad- 
rupeds— horses,  swans,  squirrels,  and  many  others. 

The  animal  life  of  tropical  Africa  can  be  compared, 
even  at  the  present  day,  with  that  which  once  existed 
in  South  Africa,  though  it  hardly  equals  that  of  the 
most  southern  part  of  the  continent,  which,  once  upon 
a  time,  was  a  veritable  paradise  of  animals.  Reck- 
less hunting  has  reduced  considerably  the  number  and 
size  of  the  herds  of  elephants,  and  the  rinderpest  (the 
murrain),  transplanted  from  Europe,  has  made  terrible 
inroads  among  the  herds  of  buffaloes.  And  yet  I  have 
found  at  certain  seasons  all  kinds  of  animals  massed 
together,  so  that,  with  a  stretch  of  imagination,  I  can 
picture  to  myself  the  state  of  South  Africa  before  the 
influx  of  the  white  man. 

Would  that  I  could  but  raise  my  voice  loud  enough 
to  reach  all  who  might  care,  and  have  the  power,  to 
save  that  great,  rich,  and  beautiful  domain  of  animal 
life  before  it  be  too  late! 

We  should  endeavor  both  to  preserve  the  animal 
treasures  and  to  collect  specimens  of  the  still  existing 
species  as  long  as  we  may,  for  our  zoological  gardens 
and  our  museums  of  natural  history,  for  the  pleasure 

9 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

and  education  of  young  and  old.     Now  it  can  be  done; 
in  a  few  years  it  may  be  too  late. 

We  are  still  comparatively  ill  -  acquainted  with  the 
fauna  of  colonial  Germany.  It  has  been  my  privilege 
to  contribute  to  the  museums  specimens  hitherto  en- 
tirely unknown.  All  I  have  achieved  in  collecting  skins, 
skulls,  skeletons,  and  the  like,  I  have  accomplished 
without  outside  assistance,  at  my  own  financial  sacrifice, 
and  mainly  through  my  personal  efforts.  I  have  been 
fully  repaid  by  the  fact  that  men,  prominent  as  expo- 
nents of  zoology,  have  given  me  their  unstinted  praise, 
and  that  I  find  in  many  a  German  museum  my  animal 
kingdom  of  tropical  Africa  preserved  by  the  hand  of 
skilled  taxidermists,  from  the  dwarf  antelope  to  the 
giraffe,  the  rhinoceros,  and  the  elephant. 


II 

CAMERA    SHOTS    AT    BIG    AND    SMALL    GAME 

CAMERA  shots  at  animals'  Something  of  every- 
day occurrence,  one  may  say. 

And  yet  I  confidently  afiirm  that  most  pictures  of 
animals — wild  animals,  I  mean — which  illustrate  books 
of  every  description  have  not  been  taken  "on  the  spot," 
with  the  characteristic  surroundings  of  the  animal's 
habitat. 

Pictures  taken  in  zoological  gardens  and  game-pre- 
serves, frequently  in  a  complete  stage-setting,  as  it 
were,  more  or  less  retouched,  often  produce  the  im- 
pression that  the  animals  have  been  photographed  in 
field  or  forest.  Writers  on  zoological  subjects  for  the 
most  part  ha\'e  to  fall  back  on  artists  for  the  illustra- 
tion of  their  books.  Artists,  however,  are  not  always 
competent  to  interpret  the  life  of  the  free  animal.  Most 
of  them  are  not  only  personally  unacquainted  with  the 
life  of  animals  al  large,  but  ha\'e  to  use  as  models  bad- 
ly ])repared  S])ecimens  at  the  nearest  nuiscum  of  natural 
history.     Only  a  few  artists  have  been  in  a  position  to 

II 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

make  native  studies;  their  pictures  and  sketches  are, 
of  course,  of  great  value. 

But  most  books  on  zoology,  and  most  books  of  travel, 
are  illustrated  in  a  manner  to  make  the  judicious  weep. 
Even  in  books  of  recent  date,  pictures  of  stuffed  animals, 
single  and  in  groups,  placed  in  the  open,  are  passed  off 
as  photographs  taken  in  the  wilderness.  This,  of  course, 
is  plainly  fraud,  and  the  pictures  are  thus  often  on  a 
level  with  the  accompanying  text,  which  is  concocted 
by  people  who,   at  home,   hardly  succeed  in  killing  a 


NILE    GEESE    IN     FLIGHT 


hare,  but  who,  in  foreign  lands,  meet  with  the  most 
extraordinary  adventures. 

With  these  glowing  descriptions  of  imaginary  ad- 
ventures, the  single  narrative  of  my  own  experiences 
and  observations  cannot  compete. 

In  one  book  of  travel  I  read,  with  astonishment,  how 
the  writer  had,  literally,  to  "shoot  his  way"  through 
herds  of  elephants ;  in  another,  how  the  writer  dispersed 
elephants  by  throwing  stones  at  them,  so  that  his  car- 

12 


CAMERA    SHOTS 

riers  might  proceed  on  their  march  into  the  interior  of 
Central  Africa.  These  scenes  are  inimortahzed  by  draw- 
ings furnished  by  an  obliging  artist. 

Next  come  descriptions  and  pictorial  representations 
by  genuine  travellers  and  explorers,  who,  being  truthful 
at  other  times,  do  not  hesitate  to  exaggerate  and  mis- 
represent actual  observations.  There  one  may  read, 
and  also  see,  how  they  laid  low,  at  the  closest  range, 
elephants,  lions,  and  rhinoceroses  facing  the  hunter  with 
open  jaws. 

The  lack  of  veracity  among  hunters,  in  all  lands  and 
climes,  is  proverbial;  those  hunting  in  distant  and  lit- 
tle-known lands  may'falsify  with  comparative  impunity. 
But  it  is  the  plain  duty  of  all  travellers  and  explorers 
who  have  science  and  truth  at  heart  to  try  to  counter- 
act the  influence  of  books  of  the  character  described, 
and  to  see  to  it  that  fake  pictures  and  descriptions  are 
taken  for  what  they  are  worth. 

President  Roosevelt,  in  the  preface  to  Wallihan's 
book,  justly  remarks  that  it  strikes  him  as  preposter- 
ous that  people  who  neither  are  hunters,  nor  could  be 
if  they  wanted  to,  insist  on  decorating  their  homes  with 
other  people's  trophies. 

It  is  a  common  practice  among  travellers,  in  East 
Africa  particularly,  to  have  their  hunting  done  by  their 
native  companions,  the  Askari,  and,  accepting  their 
hunting  stories  as  true,  to  \vrite  them  up  as  personal 
experiences. 

13 


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14 


CAMERA    SHOTS 

Some  traveller  has,  let  us  say,  put  a  bullet  into  a  lion 
caught  in  a  trap.  This  may  be,  under  certain  circum- 
stances, a  very  thrilling  and  even  dangerous  exploit. 
But,  instead  of  sticking  to  the  facts,  this  lion-killer  will 
furnish  a  description  of  a  lion-hunt,  garnished  with  ex- 
citing details. 

It  is  incredible  how  the  public  has  been  gulled  by 
descriptions  of  travels  that  were  either  wholly  imagi- 
nary or  composed,  in  the  manner  of  a  composite  photo- 
graph, from  the  experiences  of  others  than  the  writer. 

In  the  interest  of  science  and  truth,  it  is  essential  that 
travellers,  in  their  books,  should  distinguish  between 
their  own  experience's  and  the  reports  of  others,  and 
that  the  illustrations  be  based  on  sketches  by  compe- 
tent artists,  if  possible  from  life,  either  on  the  hunting- 
ground,  or,  at  least,  in  zoological  gardens,  or — and  this 
is  the  best  method — on  pictures  taken  on  the  spot, 
reproducing  not  only  the  animals,  but  also  their  typical 
environment. 

We  are  in  the  dark,  in  many  respects,  regarding  bio- 
logical facts  concerning  our  own  native  animals,  and 
instantaneous  pictures  of  these  animals  taken  in  a 
state  of  liberty  are  by  no  means  numerous.  This  is  still 
more  the  case  with  wild  animals  of  virgin  countries. 
Regarding  these,  personal  observations  of  their  habits 
and  habitats  are  of  eminent  interest,  and  photographic 
reproductions  of  their  life  in  full  liberty  are,  according 
to  the  opinion  of  men  like  Professor  Matschie  and  Dr. 

IS 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

Ludwig  Heck,  to  be  considered  as  valuable  biological 
data. 

To  take  such  snap-shots  at  wild  animals  is  not  so 
easy  a  matter  as  the  unsophisticated  reader  at  home 


THE    AUTHORS    CAMP 


is  led  to  believe  by  fraudulent  writers  of  books  of  travel 
and  adventure.  In  a  magazine  which  has  a  large  cir- 
culation I  found  the  picture  of  a  lion  attacking  a  zebra, 
that  had  been  taken,  as  the  text  implied,  by  a  mission- 
ary in  Eastern  Africa.  In  the  first  place,  missionaries 
do  not  consider  it  part  of  their  mission  to  hunt  wild 
animals,  and  do  not  relish,  as  a  rule,  the  thought  of 
being  represented  to  their  supporters  at  home  as  taking 

i6 


CAMERA   SHOTS 

part  in  such  enterprises.  Then,  in  the  text  referred  to, 
our  "missionary"  is  said  to  have  taken  "other  scenes 
of  animal  hfe"  at  closest  range — for  instance,  a  lion 
watching  for  his  prey.  The  truth  is  that  the  mission- 
ary had  been  incorporated  into  the  picture-group  to 
make  it  more  acceptable  to  the  people  at  home.  The 
group  of  animals  was  simply  made  up  of  stuffed  speci- 
mens placed  on  the  steppe.  To  cap  the  climax  of 
fraudulent  representation,  the  stuffed  zebra  used  by 
the  ingenious  fakir  belongs  to  a  species  which  has  dis- 
appeared from  East  Africa,  and  can  only  be  found  in 
South  Africa. 

These  instances  of  pictorial  falsehood  could  be  mul- 
tiplied indefinitely.  I  shall  give  just  one  more.  In  an 
illustrated  weekly  paper  appeared,  not  long  ago,  what 
purported  to  be  a  hunting  scene  from  Egypt.  A  num- 
ber of  fellahs  were  going  with  big  sticks  for  a  crocodile 
— as  if  one  could  hunt  crocodiles  in  this  childish  man- 
ner! It  goes  without  saying  that  this  was  but  a  "liv- 
ing picture,"  and  that  the  crocodile  was  stuffed. 

My  object  in  citing  these  examples  of  deception  is 
simply  to  warn  the  reading  pul)lic  to  challenge  the  de- 
ceivers, and  to  insist  on  the  truth  being  told  at  all 
times,  even  when  telling  hunting  stories,  in  case  the 
writers  want  to  be  taken  seriously.  Of  course,  no  well- 
informed  scientist  is  deceived  by  these  phantastic  ex- 
hibitions. 

On  the  f)ther  liand,  it  gives  one  genuine  pleasure  to 

n 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

read  the  truthful  report  of  a  Schweinfurth  and  a  Richard 
Boehm,  the  German  travellers,  and  of  reliable  travellers 
of  other  nations,  some  of  whom  have  been  able  to  en- 
rich their  text  by  original  sketches  and  pictures. 

But  absolutely  trustworthy  documents,  in  the  form 
of  photographs,  were  still  lacking. 

On  my  first  expedition,  in  1896,  into  the  steppes  of 
Central  Africa,  the  wish  arose  within  me  to  fix  the 
powerful  and  glorious  impressions  which  I  received  and 
to  pass  them  on  to  others.  I  felt,  at  the  same  time, 
that  this  had  to  be  done  speedily,  in  view  of  the  rapid 
destruction  of  the  wild  animals  wrought  by  the  advance 
of  our  civilization.  How  could  I  do  it?  There  was  the 
rul).  I  was  neither  an  artist  capable  of  sketching  the 
wonders  which  the  eye  had  espied,  nor  did  I  feel  that  I 
possessed  the  gift  to  voice  by  word-pictures,  by  graphic 
description,  the  revelations  that  had  come  to  me  in 
that  glorious  virgin  world.  Richard  Boehm,  who  in 
1884  succumbed  on  the  shore  of  the  far-away  Upaemba 
Lake  to  a  treacherous  fever,  and  Kuhnert  had  been 
able,  as  competent  artists,  to  reproduce,  on  a  small 
scale,  the  scenes  they  had  witnessed.  But  what  lay- 
man would  believe  the  representation  of  those  gigantic 
masses  of  animals  in  the  interior  of  Africa  to  be  true  if 
an  artist-traveller  could  fix  them  on  paper  or  canvas? 

The  art  of  the  photographer  alone,  it  seemed  to  me, 
could  furnish  the  means  to  accomplish  this  end.  The 
actual   means   were,    however,   limited;   the   difficulties 

18 


CAMERA    SHOTS 

seemed  insurmountable.  Dr.  Ludwig  Heck  did  not 
cease  to  encourage  me  in  my  experiments.  Through 
him  I  became  acquainted  with  Captain  KiesHng,  who 
is  an  expert  photographer  of  mihtary  subjects  and  is 
connected  with  the  general  staff  of  the  German  army. 
He  initiated  me  into  the  secrets  of  his  art — above  all  of 
telephotography.  We  were  convinced  that  photography 
could  be  made  subservient  to  my  endeavor  to  fix  on 
the  sensitive  plate  that  world  of  splendid  animals.  The 
magic  rod!  Where  and  how  could  we  discover  it? 
Patience  and  constant  experimenting  appeared  to  be 
the  only  road  to  attainment.  Often,  when  we  thought 
we  held  success  by  the  forelock,  we  were  rudely  dis- 
appointed. That  our  apparatus  was  often  partially 
wrecked  by  the  flash-light  explosives  with  which  we 
experimented  we  considered  only  a  slight  accident. 

So  we  studied  and  tested  and  contrived  until,  this 
time  well  equipped,  I  set  out  on  my  second  expedition 
into  tropical  Africa. 

I  was  fairly  successful  during  the  year  I  spent  there, 
but  not  fully  satisfied  with  the  results  of  my  photo- 
graphic experiments. 

After  my  return  to  Europe,  Captain  Kiesling  and  I 
took  up  once  more  the  thread  of  our  investigations  and 
attempts  at  perfecting  the  camera,  now  aided  by  Mr. 
Goerz,  whose  optical  institute  in  Ik-rlin  (Friedenau) 
is  one  of  the  best-known  in  the  world.  In  one  of  his 
laborat(jries  we  were  constantly  at  work.     I  am  lasting- 

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21 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

ly  indebted  to  Captain  Kiesling,  who,  enthusiastically 
concurring  in  my  ideas  regarding  photographing  at 
night,  assisted  me  in  constructing  a  camera  by  means 
of  which  I  was  enabled  to  surprise  the  animals  of  the 
wilderness  in  their  lairs  and  on  their  secret  nightly  er- 
rands. 

Again  I  embarked,  accompanied  by  my  friend  Dr. 
Kuenstler,  for  the  "Dark  Continent,"  better  prepared 
than  before.  From  Tanga  we  started  on  our  inland 
expedition  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  carriers.  And 
again  I  learned  that  theory  and  practice  are  two 
different  things.  After  many  disappointments,  and 
suffering  from  an  acute  heart  trouble  and  malaria,  I 
felt  compelled  to  give  up  the  expedition  and  to  seek 
recovery  in  my  native  land.  That  I  survived  I  owe  to 
my  robust  constitution;  my  recovery  was  a  surprise  to 
my  medical  friends. 

With  renewed  vigor  I  continued  experimenting  and 
studying,  profiting  by  past  experiences,  and  for  the 
fourth  time  I  left  for  Africa,  and  this  time  my  expecta- 
tions, after  some  initial  disappointments,  were  realized 
to  a  great  extent. 

The  obstacles  which  the  traveller  is  apt  to  meet  are 
not  only  those  which  are  put  in  his  way  by  an  unfavor- 
able climate  and  inhospitable  nature.  A  simple  citizen, 
not  travelling  in  an  ofBcial  capacity,  is  often  also  ham- 
pered V)y  barriers  put  up  by  man.  Even  in  the  Ger- 
man colonies  of  East  Africa  travelling  was  not  especially 

22 


CAMERA    SHOTS 

easy.  In  spite  of  a  passport,  which  makes  in  civilized 
countries  for  quick  travel,  I  was  held  up  for  hours,  in  the 
glow  of  a  tropical  sky,  until  all  the  rules  and  regulations 
of  a  paternal  government  had  been  complied  with.  My 
endeavors  to  penetrate  into  the  still  unexplored  regions 
about  the  Rudolf  Lake,  situated  in  English  territory, 
were  nipped  in  the  bud.  Permission  to  enter  had  been 
granted  to  me  previously.  I  had  filled  my  purse  well 
for  all  emergencies  of  a  financial  nature,  and  I  was  just 
about  to  start  from  the  Kilimanjaro  when  the  permit 
was  cancelled.  It  was  a  case  of  tit  for  tat,  for  some 
Englishmen  had  just  been  refused  permission  to  travel 
in  German  East  Africa.  Thus  all  my  plans  in  this  re- 
spect were  wrecked. 

But  in  spite  of  all  the  hardships  and  disappointmicnts, 
or  rather  on  their  account,  I  value  the  memory  of  those 
days  beyond  any  price. 


Ill 

THE    SOUL-LIFE    OF    ANIMALS 

WHOEVER  travels  in  the  remote  and  almost  un- 
known regions  of  Africa,  not  merely  for  the  sake 
of  material  gain,  but  im])elled  chiefly  by  the  desire  to 
enlarge  the  domain  of  human  knowledge,  and  whoever 
combines  with  this  desire  a  sympathetic  interest  in  the 
intelligence  and  the  soul-life  of  animals,  need  never  feel 
lonely.  He  will  find,  as  the  immortal  Brehm  did  in  the 
Sudan,  comfort  and  solace  and  entertainment  in  the 
companionship  of  his  animal  friends,  if  he  possesses  at 
all  the  gift  of  appreciating  their  social  instincts. 

Prince  Pless  told  me  once  that  the  keepers  of  the 
Indian  elephants,  the  mahuts,  are  able  to  interpret 
about  one  hundred  utterances  of  their  animals,  while 
the  elephants  understand  almost  every  word  of  their 
guides.  We  find  even  among  wild  animals  a  number 
of  species  which,  in  a  short  while,  show  purely  altruistic 
feelings  of  friendship  for  their  masters.  For  over  twenty 
years  no  young  rhinoceros  shipped  to  Europe  had 
reached  its  destination  alive.  I  was  convinced  that 
the   cause   of  the   death   of  these  young  animals  was 

24 


THE    SOUL-LIFE    OF    ANIMALS 

rather  psychical  than  ])hysical;  they  liad  all  been  de- 
prived of  the  society  and  care  of  their  mothers,  who 
had  been  killed.  I  made  a  goat  take  the  place  of  the 
mother  rhinoceros,  and  in  a  few  days  the  young  ani- 
mal formed  such  a  close  friendship  with  the  goat  that 
they  became  inseparable.  Even  to-day,  in  the  confine- 
ment of  the  zoological  gardens,  the  rhinoceros  clings  to 
his  old  friend  the  goat  and  her  offspring. 


;•*' 


"■Sjaiai 


EUROPEAN    STORKS    IN     AFRICA 


I  am  convinced  that  the  friendshi]j  between  my 
rhinoceros  and  the  goat  and  her  kid  is  prompted  by 
purely  altruistic,  ethical  motives. 

One  can  read  in  most  books  on  animals  that  the 
rhinoceros  is  credited  with  a  particularly  large  amount 
of  stupidity.  This  is  true  if  we  compare  this  animal's 
mind  w4th  the  many-sided  and  well-developed  human 
mind.  But  this  same  animal  is,  in  certain  respects, 
so  highlv  devel()])ed  mentally,  tliat  it  has  so  far  suc- 
ceeded, like  the  elephant,  in  esca])ing  total  destruc- 
tion  at  the  hand   of  man.      In   this  regard   it  has  Ijcen 


"WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

more  successful  than  many  a  slow-witted  tribe  belong- 
ing to  the  human  race.  We  must  take  into  considera- 
tion the  fact  that  many  animals  possess  an  exception- 
ally keen  sense  -  perception  —  yea,  perhaps,  organs  of 
sense  unknown  to  us. 

I  have  often  been  asked  whether  I  could  explain  the 
fact  that  the  rhinoceros  invariably  knows  the  location 
of  every  water-pool  in  its  home  region;  that  it  carries, 
so  to  speak,  a  topographical  chart  of  the  native  steppe 
in  its  head.  I  cannot  explain  this  otherwise  than  by 
assuming  that  the  rhinoceros  possesses  an  almost  mi- 
raculously keen  sense  of  locality,  developed  by  long 
practice,  transmitted  to  successive  generations,  and 
further  developed  by  each  in  turn.  I  have  often  fol- 
lowed rhinoceros  tracks  which  led  in  a  straight  line  to 
a  place  giving  every  indication  of  a  little  dried-up  pool, 
but  which  at  length  turned  at  right  angles,  and  brought 
me,  after  a  few  more  hours,  to  a  small  body  of  water. 
Man,  with  all  his  knowledge,  will  die  of  thirst,  where  a 
rhinoceros  will  be  saved  by  its  instinct,  which,  after 
all,  is  in  this  case  accumulated  experience. 

Many  other  animals  have  been  to  me,  in  far-away 
Africa,  like  comrades,  in  joy  and  in  sorrow.  Among 
them  I  count  a  young  elephant  which  I  lost,  and  a 
couple  of  tamed  baboons,  who  were  almost  beside  them- 
selves with  joy  whenever  they  espied  me  at  a  distance 
that  no  human  eye  could  reach. 

Among  the  African  birds  I  found  the  marabous,  the 

26 


THE    SOUL-LIFE    OF    ANIMALS 

goitre  storks,  to  be  most  intelligent  and,  after  their 
distrust  was  conquered  by  patient  kindness,  affeetion- 
ate  companions.  My  marabous  moved  about  the  camp 
free,    uncaged    and    unfettered,    built    their    nests    and 


THE    COOK    AND    HIS    FRIENDS    THE    MARABOU    STORKS 


made  no  attempt  to  fly  away.  On  my  return  to  camp 
they  would  receive  me  clattering,  lining  up  before  my 
tent  like  a  body-guard,  and  trying  to  caress  me  with 
their  mighty  and  dangerous  beaks.  And,  mind  you, 
these  binls  were  not  born  in  captivity,  but  had  been 
caught  when  full-fledged,  some  of  them  over  thirty 
years  old.  I  brought  one  of  these  marabous  witli  me 
to  Europe.     When  Dr.  I  leek  met  me  at  Naples  he  was 

27 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

simply  dumfounded  by  the  tender  friendship  the  bird 
showed  towards  me.  Even  now,  when  I  visit  the  zo- 
ological gardens  in  Berlin,  the  present  abode  of  the 
bird,  it  recognizes  me  at  once  in  ever  so  great  a  crowd. 

"There  are  more  things  in  heaven  and  earth  than 
are  dreamed  of  in  our  philosophy."  This  saying  of 
Hamlet's  applies  appropriately  to  the  soul-life  of  ani- 
mals, of  which  we  have  only  a  meagre  conception.  The 
success  of  wireless  telegraphy  depends  not  on  the 
strength  of  the  electric  waves  alone,  but  just  as  much 
on  the  sensitiveness  of  the  receiver.  So  we  must  bring 
to  the  study  of  the  soul-life  of  animals  a  sympathetic 
mind  besides  a  thorough  knowledge  of  zoology.  We 
must  live  with  the  animals  as  we  live  among  strange 
peoples  whose  peculiarities  we  wish  to  understand. 
And  if  we  do  so,  we  may  come  to  realize  that  what  we 
have  hitherto  been  calling  instinct — a  seemingly  un- 
changeable gift  bestowed  on  animals  by  provident  nature 
— is,  after  all,  intelligence,  which  has  developed  by  de- 
grees into  what  it  now  is,  and  is  still  developing  tow- 
ards higher  fomis.  Indeed,  "there  are  more  things  in 
heaven  and  earth.  ..." 


IV 


THE    MASAI-NYIKA 


IN  clearly  defined  outlines  lies  before  us,  bathed  in  a 
flood  of  light,  the  Masai-Nyika,  the  great  steppe  of 
East  Africa.  The  clear  atmosphere  deceives  our  eyes, 
makine  the  distant  mountain  chains  seem  to  be  much 


IN    TlHv     MASAI     COUNTRY 
29 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

nearer  than  they  really  are.  Years  ago  this  immense 
tract  of  land  appeared  to  me,  a  new-comer,  to  be  like  a 
sealed  book  full  of  mysteries ;  to-day  the  book  Hes  open 
before  me,  and  I  am  able  to  decipher  its  characters. 
The  reading  of  the  book  is  beset  with  many  hardships. 
It  is  not  easy  to  trace  the  letters  and  words  in  the 
tracks  and  traces  left  by  the  animals  of  the  steppe, 
especially  the  herds  of  elephants  and  rhinoceroses 
whose  trail  is  punctuated  by  broken  trees  and  trampled 
bushes. 

The  conformation  of  the  East  African  steppe  is  most 
peculiar.  The  ground  is  now  flat  and  even,  now  un- 
dulating, now  hilly,  now  traversed  by  mighty  and  high 
mountain  chains.  On  the  table-land  surrounding  the 
KiHmanjaro,  a  number  of  high  mountains  rise  up  into 
the  clouds.  The  highest  point  of  the  Kilimanjaro  group, 
the  Kibo,  eighteen  to  twenty  thousand  feet  high,  is 
capped  with  eternal  snow  and  ice. 

The  surface  of  the  steppe  was  formed  by  volcanic 
activity.  If  we  could  rise  sufhciently  high  in  a  bal- 
l(wn  and  gain  a  comprehensive  bird's-eye  view  of  the 
East  Atrican  steppe,  we  would  view  scenery  similar  to 
that  which  the  surface  of  the  moon  presents  to  us. 
About  a  two  days'  journey  from  the  Kilimanjaro  the 
Meru  mountain,  nearly  eighteen  thousand  feet  high, 
rises  from  the  plateau.  Around  and  between  the  world 
of  mountains  the  steppe  spreads  out  before  us,  far  and 
wide,  in  the  bright  and  blinding  light  of  the  sun,  at  an 

30 


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^.l^ipr 


31 


WITH    FLASH    LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

average  elevation  of  three  thousand   five  hundred  feet 
above  the  sea. 

In  the  rainy  season  the  massika,  the  Nyika  (steppe), 
is  clad  in  verdure  of  grass  and  trees;  silvery  streams 
wind  their  way  through  it;  temporary  lakes,  square 
miles  in  extent,  dot  it.  In  the  dry  season  the  yellow- 
brownish  ground  looks  like  a  vast  threshing-floor; 
plant  life  seems  to  be  extinct.  Only  now  and  then 
the  green  of  trees  and  bushes  delights  our  eyes,  where- 
ever  the  depressions  of  the  ground  retain  some  reserve 
pond  of  water.  At  times  we  may  thus  see  immense 
groves  of  green  k^cust  -  trees  or  of  thorn  -  trees,  the 
latter,  resembling  our  fruit  trees,  forming,  as  it  were, 
large  orchards.  Many  plants,  the  so-called  succulents  in 
particular,  are  able  to  outlive  a  dry  spell  of  several  years. 

Ant  -  hills,  often  several  yards  high,  and  firm,  like 
fortifications,  may  be  seen  in  the  Nyika.  When  the 
rainy  season  approaches,  the  white  ants,  their  wings 
having  grown,  leave  their  native  hills  to  emigrate  and 
to  form  colonies  elsewhere. 

Here  and  there,  like  a  remnant  of  primeval  times,  we 
meet  the  well-known  monkey -bread -tree.  Grotesque 
in  form,  its  mighty  trunk  and  branches,  covered  by  a 
shining  gray  bark,  arrest  our  attention.  But  the  trav- 
eller soon  learns  to  know  this  tree  as  one  of  his  best 
stand-bys  in  the  dry  season;  for  within  the  hollows 
of  its  trunk  it  often  conceals  a  treasure  of  priceless 
value — namely,  water. 

32 


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33 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

It  is  no  hardship  to  travel  through  the  steppe  during 
the  rainy  season,  though  the  traveller  is  often  forced 
to  make  his  way  through  trackless  thickets,  thorny 
bushes,  and  sharp  grasses  reaching  above  his  head. 

In  the  dry  season  travel  is  slow  and  dangerous,  water 
being  scarce  and  often  entirely  lacking.  Before  you 
start  out,  you  had  better  make  sure  of  your  next  water- 
ing-place. Often,  where  you  expect  to  find  one,  you 
will  discover  a  dried  -  up  depression  in  the  ground. 
Moreover,  your  carriers  are  apt  to  be  very  thirsty  after 
a  day's  march  of  over  eighteen  miles,  carrying  up  to 
sixty  pounds  on  their  heads.  These  men  are  very  pa- 
tient, indeed,  and  of  great  endurance.  They  may  be- 
come tired  and  exhausted,  but  they  will  not  leave  their 
burdens  behind  to  hasten  to  quench  their  almost  un- 
bearable thirst.  They  know  full  well  that  their  rafiki 
(friends),  who  reach  the  camping-ground  first,  will  hurry 
back  to  them  with  gourd-bottles  well  filled  with  the 
precious  liquid. 

Like  the  Tundra  of  Asia,  so  the  East  African  Nyika 
may  attract  the  venturesome  traveller  and  hunter  for 
a  time,  and,  at  times,  entice  him  to  come  back  to  it. 
But  the  steppe  will  not  permanently  hold  the  visitor 
from  a  temperate  clime.  For  long  residence  might 
mean  death  —  death  by  that  slow  but  sure  destroyer, 
malaria. 


V 

STEPPE-FIRES 

EVERY  year  wild-fires  sweep  over  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  East  African  steppe.  Now  and 
then,  when  the  dry  season  sets  in,  one  may  notice  on 
the  far  horizon  flaming  lights  which  turn  red  as  the 
day  declines  and  the  night  advances.  They  are  distant 
steppe-fires  in  parts  of  the  country  where  the  grass  has 
already  grown  dry.  When  they  occur  on  distant  high 
plateaus  they  look  like  gigantic  torches  throwing  their 
ghastly  light  far  into  the  surrounding  darkness. 

When  the  dryness  has  spread  over  the  whole  country, 
then  the  traveller,  as  well  as  the  native,  will  set  fire  to 
the  grass  —  the  traveller  to  remove  it  as  an  obstacle, 
the  native  to  prepare  the  ground  so  that  with  the  first 
rain-shower  the  earth  may  yield  fresh  grass  for  grazing. 

The  fires  move  on  steadily,  but  slowly — not,  as  one 
may  read  in  many  a  book  of  travel,  with  destructive, 
lightning  rapidity  —  eating  up  grasses,  bushes,  small 
trees,  and  even  attacking  with  their  fiery  tongues  sturdy 
trees  of  gigantic  size.  But  it  is  an  ill  fire  which  docs  not 
bring  good  to  somebody.    In  the  tracks  of  the  fire,  mar- 

35 


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3(^ 


STEPPE-FIRES 

abous,  storks,  vultures,  kites,  and  other  birds  of  prey 
follow,  to  feast  on  roasted  locusts  and  other  small- 
fry. 

The  mammals  of  the  steppe  either  retreat  before  the 
fire  or  hide  in  caves  and  wash-outs,  and  on  their  return 
to  the  plain  they  relish  the  young  grass.  These  African 
animals  seem  to  consider  the  fire,  like  Mephisto,  a 
"friendly  element."  The  baboons,  without  a  sign  of 
fear,  watch  the  fire-waves  pass  by  their  trees. 

These  fires  are  in  no  way  a  danger  for  the  traveller, 
if  he  be  at  all  watchful.  He  only  needs  to  set  the  grass 
around  his  camp  on  fire,  and  in  this  way  to  make  a 
clearing  which  will  protect  the  camp  against  the  ap- 
proaching larger  fire.  Of  course,  accidents  may  hap- 
pen, and  the  traveller  may  be  caught  napping,  or  be 
surprised  in  spite  of  his  watchfulness.  On  one  occasion 
I  had  pitched  my  camp  among  dry  ree-ds,  when  sud- 
denly it  was  threatened  by  a  wild-fire.  All  we  could 
do  in  this  emergency  was  hurriedly  to  save  our  camping 
outfit  and  ourselves.  I  lost  a  considerable  amount  of 
valuable  material — prepared  skins  and  the  like — which 
I  had  collected.  As  we  retreated,  we  were  pursued  by 
a  discharge  of  small-arms — some  of  the  cartridges  left 
behind  exploded  singly  and  in  volleys. 

Sometimes  the  repeated  attacks  of  many  fires  lay 
low  even  the  l)ig  trees.  They  burn  slowly  and,  in 
a  calm,  steadily,  taking  the  place  of  lanterns  at 
night,   until    they    are    charred    and    at    last    fall   into 

37 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

ashes,  which   are  scattered  by  the  first  strong  gust  of 
wind. 

Never  shall  I  forget  a  mighty  fire  that  I  witnessed 
near  the  Longido  mountain,  at  the  foot  of  which  I  was 


A    HERD    OF    GRANT    GAZELLES 


encamped.  The  whole  mountain  seemed  to  be  on  fire. 
Whipped  into  fury  by  a  strong  and  steady  wind,  the 
fire  rolled  over  the  mountain  meadows  and  spread  into 
chasms  and  crevices.  Its  glare  turned  night  into  day. 
It  seemed  as  though  the  mountains  were  alive,  and 
strangely  fashioned  clouds  of  smoke  made  it  appear  as 
if  fantastic  beings  were  fighting  one  another  near  the 
mountain -top.  Now  the  fiames  seized  some  meadow 
of  dry  grass  and  reached  up  into  the  skies  in  a  sud- 
den blaze;  now  mighty  masses  of  smoke  darkened  the 
mountain,  to   be  dispelled  a  few  moments  later   by  a 

38 


STEPPE-FIRES 

sudden    burst   of    fire    illumining    the   mountain   peaks 
with   a   glowing   light.     For  days   and  nights   the   fire 

raged. 

But  the  big  game  of  the  steppe,  unconcerned  and  un- 
moved by  the  mighty  spectacle,  came  as  usual  to  the 
pools  of  water  near  by,  and  not  far  from  the  camp 
crouched  my  native  guards,  dark-skinned,  half  naked, 
with  shields  and  spears  and  swords,  humming  their  an- 
cient battle  songs. 

And  I,  viewing  the  wonderful  and  unique  sight,  saw 
passing  before  my  mind's  eye  the  heroes  and  gods  of  the 
Norse  sagas,  into  whom  that  great  German  magician  of 


GRANT    GAZELLES    ON    TIIK    MAKCII 

39 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

Baireuth  has  breathed  new  and  everlasting  life.  And 
every  evening,  at  the  approach  of  night,  as  long  as  it 
lasted,  I  gazed  at  the  "magic  fire"  and  listened  to  the 
voices  in  the  air  singing,  "  At  your  command  a  fire  shall 
burn!" 


VI 


JOURNEYING    WITH    PRINCE    LOEWENSTEIN    TO    THE    KILI- 
MANJARO 

WE  arrived  at  Tanga  early  in  February,  1903.  It 
was  my  fourth  journey  to  East  Africa  and  my 
third  expedition  into  the  territory  lying  about  the  ice 
and  snow  covered  Kilimanjaro. 

Our  caravan  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  carriers  and 
Askari  (native  guards),  headed  l)y  my  trusty  Mniampara 
Maftar,  had  been  organized  for  a  few  days.  We  went 
by  rail  to  Korrogwe,  the  present  terminus  of  the  road. 
Then  we  set  out  on  our  marcli,  travelling  l)y  way  of 
Mombo  and  Masinde  towards  the  Kilimanjaro.  We  did 
not  follow  the  regular  caravan  road,  but  after  crossing 
the  Mkomasi  River  we  marched  along  the  Rufu  River. 

Heavy  rain-showers  had  preceded  us.  I  was  travel- 
ling on  familiar  ground,  but  I  had  never  seen  it  clothed 
in  such  luxuriant  verdure.  Green  grass  covered  the 
earth;  the  succulent  plants  were  blooming  with  new 
vigor;  thick  foliage  adorned  the  grotesque  monkey- 
bread-trees;  butterflies  and  swarms  of  insects  filled  the 
air. 

41 


< 

< 


O 


42 


JOURNEYING    TO    THE    KILIMANJARO 

Heavy  rains  in  the  tropics,  while  they  further  vegeta- 
tion, are,  on  the  other  hand,  breeders  of  disease.  Dur- 
ing the  damp  weather  most  Europeans  are  apt  to 
fall  victims  to  malaria.  The  animals,  food  and 
water  being  plentiful,  were  running  all  over  the 
country. 

Prince  Loewenstein  succeeded  in  shooting  several 
antelopes.  The  immense  flocks  of  storks  were  of  great 
interest  to  him.  Soon  they  were  to  start  on  their 
homeward  flight  towards  his — and  my — beloved  father- 
land. 

We  followed  the  Rufu  River  and  pitched  our  tents 
after  a  few  days'  march.  Here  Prince  Loewenstein 
killed  the  first  rhinoceros.  The  same  day  we  met 
unexpectedly  a  herd  of  about  sixty  buffaloes  resting 
in  the  shade  of  locust-trees.  This  sight  was  to  me  as 
novel  as  it  was  to  the  prince.  I  had  never  been  fortu- 
nate enough  to  meet  a  herd  in  the  daytime  and  in  the 
open  field.  So  far  I  had  come  upon  them  only  in 
thickets  and  reedy  swamps. 

The  prince  killed  a  cow  buffalo  and  I  a  bull.  We 
considered  ourselves  very  lucky  and  were  highly  satis- 
fied with  our  day's  work.  Two  days  later  the  prince 
tracked  and  shot  a  giraffe  of  goodly  size. 

I  had  repeatedly  tried  to  take  snap-shots  at  game 
with  my  improved  long-distance  camera.  But  the  re- 
sults had  been  far  from  satisfactory.  I  luul,  howcNcr, 
thus  familiarized  myself  with  the  apparatus,  antl  after 

43 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

a  while  I  took  a  good  picture  of  a  group  of  oryx  ante- 
lopes. 

I  had  sent  some  of  our  men  to  the  Rusotto  station 
for  maize.  After  their  return  we  broke  up  camp  and 
marched  slowly  along  the  river,  up-stream.     We  could 


I'RINCE    JOHN     LDEWliNSTlilN     AND    TH  K     AUTHOR 


afford  to  proceed  at  our  leisure,  for  game  was  plenti- 
ful. Prince  Loewenstein  could  therefore  indulge,  to  his 
heart's  content,  in  hunting,  while  I  snapped  my  camera 
at  all  "sorts  and  conditions"  of  animals. 

Myriads   of   locusts    had   settled    in   the    high   grass, 
while  clouds  of  them  filled  the  air  in  the  wake  of  our 

44 


JOURNEYING    TO    THE    KILIMANJARO 

caravan,  a  welcome  prey  to  hundreds  of  small  falcons 
and  other  birds. 

One  day,  travelling  through  the  high  grass  of  the 
steppe,  I  was  al^out  to  mount  my  mule — we  had  taken 
along,  from  Italy,  a  number  of  these  hardy  animals — 
when  suddenly  three  lions  crossed  our  path  and  disap- 
peared in  a  thorny  thicket.  It  all  happened  so  quickly 
that  neither  the  prince  nor  I  got  a  shot  at  them.      We 


CORMORANTS     FISHING 


O 


(  ) 


sio])ped    for  a   few  days,  hoping  to   find    t.li.'ir   l;iir,   but 

ur  hoj^cs  ])rovc'd   futile.      However,  we  Ik  id   leisure  1 
l^ecome  acquainted  with  the  many  kinds  of  liirds  which 

45 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 


IBIS     NESTS 


live  near  the  river  and  feed  on  its  finny  tribes.  From 
sand-bank  to  sand-bank  they  fly  to  catch  the  fish,  while 
they  in  turn  are  the  prey  of  crocodiles. 

There  a  Nile  goose  has  alighted  on  a  sand -bank. 
Suddenly  the  head  of  a  crocodile  appears  above  the 
waters;  but  the  goose  has  espied  him;  immovable  they 
face  each  other.  A  sound  of  warning  by  the  goose  to 
her  sister-geese,  and  the  crocodile  disappears. 

The  fishing-gull,  the  ibis,  the  heron,  the  goat-sucker, 
and  many  others,  all  like  the  taste  of  fish— and  so  do  we. 

Not  far  from  our  camp  I  found  a  large  pond,  one  of 
the  many  with  which  the  neighborhood  of  the  river  was 

46 


JOURNEYING    TO    THE    KILIMANJARO 

dotted  and  which  had  l)ccn  formed  in  the  depressions 
of  the  ground  when,  after  the  rainy  season,  the  river 
had  receded  into  its  bed.  In  this  pond  my  men  caught 
six  hundred  pounds  of  palatable  shad  in  one  day,  to 
the  great  delight  of  the  whole  camp.  We  caught  a  few 
young  Nile  geese  and  also  two  small  crocodiles,  in  one 
of  which  we  found  a  young  goose,  entire. 

I  almost  suffered  the  fate  of  the  bird.  Crossing  the 
river  the  next  day  in  company  with  two  natives,  we 
lost  an  oar  and  the  control  of  our  boat.  We  drifted 
irresistibly  down  -  stream  towards  some  rapids.  Be- 
low these  a  number  of  crocodiles  were  ready  to  receive 
us  with  open  jaws.     Our  little  boat  fortunately  drifted 


TIIK    FISHING    PARTY  S    RETURN 


47 


X 


in 

< 
►4 

PQ 

en 

w 

w 

N 

■< 
o 

o 

m 

o 


48 


JOURNEYING    TO    THE    KILIMANJARO 

against  some  projecting  rocks  and  capsized.  We  man- 
aged not  only  to  save  ourselves  by  climbing  on  the 
rocks,  but  also  to  hold  fast  the  overturned  boat.  The 
water  near  the  rocks  was  too  deep  and  too  swift  for  us 
to  wade  or  to  swim  across.  When  our  guards  and  car- 
riers saw  our  plight — for  the  accident  occurred  almost 
opposite  our  camp — they  quickly  came  to  our  aid.  The 
guards,  firing  with  their  Mauser  rifles  at  the  croco- 
diles, kept  the  expectant  animals  at  a  distance.  Prince 
Loewenstein  proved  in  this  emergency  a  friend  indeed. 
He  formed  the  carriers  into  a  rescue -party.  Holding 
on  ropes,  and  thus  aiding  one  another,  they  entered  the 
water,  and,  approaching  us  from  above,  pulled  us  up 
towards  them.  We  then  proceeded  on  our  expedi- 
tion along  the  river.  It  was  now  towards  the  end  of 
March,  and  the  rainy  season,  the  masika  uikubwa,  was 
about  to  set  in.  One  night,  as  we  were  nearing  the 
Kilimanjaro,  a  terrific  rain-storm  came  upon  us  sud- 
denly and  violently.  The  air  was  charged  and  quiv- 
ering with  electricity;  flashes  of  lightning  streaked  fan- 
tastically the  dense  darkness ;  in  a  few  minutes  our  camp- 
and  the  interior  of  our  tents  were  flooded. 

The  grandeur  of  such  a  gigantic  manifestation  of 
elementary  forces,  presented  by  such  a  tropical  storm, 
defies  description.  Whoever  has  been  ]irivilegcd  to 
watch  a  storm  of  this  kind  will  l)e  thrilled  by  the  mere 
memory  of  it  as  one  of  nature's  grandest  spectacles. 

We  arrived    in   due   time   at   Moschi    station,  at  the 
4  49 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

foot    of  the  Kilimanjaro.      My  friend    Captain   Merker 
received  us  with  open  arms. 

The  rainy  season  began  now  in  earnest  and   forced 
us  to  remain  in  Moschi.     The  genial  hospitality  of  Cap- 


VULTURES    SCENTING    CARRION 


tain  Merker,  one  of  the  most  companionable  of  men, 
would,  I  was  sure,  hel]:)  us  to  while  away  the  time. 
But  soon,  alas!  not  only  he  but  also  my  friend  and  com- 
panion Prince  Loewenstein  set  out  for  the  coast.  No 
European  can  live  with  impunity  any  length  of  time 
under  the  tropical  sky  of  East  Africa.  Captain  Merker 
had  stuck  to  his  post  for  seven  years.     Moschi  is  a  de- 

50 


JOURNEYING    TO    THE    KILIMANJARO 

cidedly  unhealthy  place  to  live  in,  though  there  may  be 
worse  ones.  The  white  man  suffers  there,  as  elsewhere 
in  tropical  Africa,  from  malaria;  domesticated  animals, 
native  and  imported  alike,  die  off  in  a  short  time  unless 
they  are  well  stabled  and  constantly  looked  after. 

Captain  Merker  had  received  a  long  leave  of  absence, 
which  he  meant  to  spend  in  the  dear  old  fatherland. 
Prince  Loewenstein  had  intended  to  explore  the  moun- 
tain range  of  the  Kilimanjaro.  Unfortunately  for  me, 
he  had  received  news  which  made  his  presence  in  South 
Africa  imperative.  Their  departure  deprived  me  of  an  old 
friend  and  a  new  one.  Danger  and  deprivation,  shared 
in  common,  tend  to  endear  men  to  one  another.  I  missed 
the  prince  on  more  than  one  occasion,  for  he  was  a  splen- 
did companion  and  helpmate,  and  particularly  fitted  by 
his  courage  and  hardiness  for  the  life  of  an  explorer  in 
the  African  steppe.  While  stopping  at  Moschi,  I  discov- 
ered, in  the  beginning  of  April,  a,  new  black  species 
of  genet.  One  of  these  catlike  animals  was  killed  by  a 
herdsman  at  night,  when  she  was  attempting  to  steal  a 
young  goat.  Black  felines  are  apparently  not  very  rare 
in  East  Africa.  We  are  told  that  the  negus  of  Abyssinia 
often  presents  black  leopard-skins  to  his  dignitaries  as 
a  sign  of  his  distinguished  favor.  I  myself  have  killed 
several  black  servals  near  the  Kilimanjaro.  As  far  as 
we  know,  there  are  no  entirely  black  lions,  but  lions  with 
black  manes  do  exist. 

On  a  beautiful  sunny  day,  towards  the  end  of  the 

51 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

rainy  season,  I  left  Moschi  station  with  my  caravan,  to 
encamp  near  the  Himo  River,  on  my  march  to  the 
Ndjiri  swamps.  I  considered  myself  very  lucky  when, 
on  this  day,  I  succeeded  in  photographing  from  a  con- 
siderable distance  some  zebras  and  antelopes.  For  the 
steppe  around  the  Moschi  station,  formerly  stocked  with 
game,  is  now  almost  completely  despoiled  of  animals. 
It  is  not  fair  to  make  the  European  hunter  and  ex- 
plorer responsible  for  this  condition  of  affairs.  He  is, 
after  all,  a  sportsman ;  he  kills,  but  he  does  not  butcher. 
The  crime  is  rather  to  be  charged  to  the  Askaris,  the 
native  guards,  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  wantonly 
shooting  down  every  living  thing  that  comes  within 
range  of  their  rifles.  This  has  lieen  stopped,  as  far  as 
possible,  but  too  late. 

Also  the  cattle-traders  and  the  official  and  unofficial 
caravans  crossing  this  country  must  be  blamed  for  much 
of  the  reckless  killing  of  animals.  The  officials  and 
retainers  of  the  so-called  ostrich-farm  company  alone 
have  for  ten  3^ears  past  reduced  the  animals  in  the 
Kilimanjaro  steppe  to  at  least  half  their  original 
number. 

The  first  commandant  of  Moschi,  Von  Eltz,  killed  in 
the  Moschi  steppe  sixty  rhinoceroses ;  to-day  one  hardly 
catches  sight  of  a  single  one.  The  second  day  after  our 
departure  from  Moschi  we  marched,  although  the  rain 
poured  down  in  torrents,  as  far  as  Marangu.  There  I 
enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  Mr.  Merkel,  a  former  corporal 

52 


o 

C/i 


H 
> 

O 


53 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

in  the  German  colonial  army,  who  managed  his  small 
ostrich  farm  most  successfully. 

After  a  long  march  through  the  Rombo  region,  my 
caravan  reached  Usiri.  Mangi  (chief)  Mambua  sup- 
plied us  liberally  with  beans.  It  is  rather  difficult  to 
learn  much  about  the  Usiri  land  from  its  inhabitants, 
for  they  are  very  shy  and  diffident.  The  country  is 
partly  covered  with  large  banana  plantations;  the  rest 
is  almost  a  desert  from  lack  of  water. 

From  Usiri  we  marched  to  the  Ngare-Rongai  River, 
crossed  it,  passed  Marago-Kanga,  a  drinking-place,  and 
at  last  reached  the  eastern  Ndjiri  swamp,  called  "  Ngare 
O'ssiram  "  by  the  Masai,  after  the  small  koodoo — O'ssi- 
ram  in  the  Masai  language — which,  in  days  gone  by, 
could  be  found  about  these  swamps  in  large  herds. 
This  neighborhood  was  for  me  terra  cogiiita.  I  had  ex- 
plored it  in  1899.  There  I  pitched  my  tents,  intend- 
ing to  make  a  long  stop,  to  explore  the  country  farther, 
and  to  take  as  many  pictures  of  animals  as  possible. 


VII 

ON    THE    SHORES    OF    THE    NDJIRI    LAKES 

THE  rainy  season  had  come  to  an  end  as  sudden- 
ly as  it  had  begun.  Within  three  weeks  immense 
masses  of  water  had  flooded  the  parched  steppe,  filling 
the  pools,  large  and  small,  to  overflowing.  The  dry, 
yellow-brown  ground,  as  if  1)y  magic,  had  been  covered 
A\'ith  green;  trees  and  bushes  were  filled  with  new  life; 
rivers  and  rix'ulets  had  been  changed  into  rushing 
streams. 

The  vast  depression  near  the  western  foot  of  the  Kili- 
manjaro range,  the  deepest  parts  of  which  are  known 
as  the  western  anrl  eastern  Ndjiri  swamps,  is  like  a  big 
basin,  into  which  flow  masses  of  water;  all  the  lower 
parts  of  the  wide  steppe  are  periodically  transformed 
into  lakes.  The  animals  had,  during  these  weeks, 
spread  over  the  whole  country,  for  everywhere  food 
and  water  could  be  found. 

This  feast  of  plenty  soon  reached  its  zenith ;  the  earth 
swallowed  most  of  the  jirecious  liquid,  and  vegetation 
began  to  decline.  Slowly  the  roving  animals  gath- 
ered again    around   the    perennial   reservoirs    of  water 

55 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

and    food    where    they    were    wont    to    pass    the    dry 

season. 

But  the  birds  which  live  near  the  swamps  and  rivers 
now  found  a  fine  crop  of  water-plants,  filled  with  seeds, 
floating  on  the  lakes  of  the  Ndjiri  swamps.     Immense 


NILE    GEESE 


flocks  of  geese  and  ducks  squatted  on  the  marshy 
ground.  Thousands  of  gnus  and  zebras  pressed  up  to 
the  shores  of  the  lakes,  the  water  of  which  was  receding 
as  the  dry  season  advanced ;  and  again  the  rhinoceros 
returned  nightly  from  the  steppe  to  his  drinking-place 
near  the  swamps;  and  antelopes,  water -bucks,  wart- 
hogs,  and  buffaloes  drew  nearer  to  the  swampy  region. 
This  was  the  right  time  for  me  to  hunt  these  animals 
and  to  study  their  ways.  Therefore,  I  encamped  on 
the  treeless  plain  near  the  lakes  and  lagoons  and  the 
reedy  marshes,  leaving  behind  what  I  did  not  need — 
especially  my  animals,  mules,  and  cattle.  These  would 
doubtless  have  been  plagued  to  death  by  the  flies  and 

S6 


THE    NDJIRI    LAKES 

mosquitoes  of  the  swamps.  The  necessary  fuel  and 
the  drinking-water  had  to  be  fetched  from  a  distance, 
for  my  tents  stood  on  arid,  salt  -  encrusted  ground. 
Sand-dunes,  swished  together  by  the  wind,  and  isolated 
small  lakes  surrounded  my  camp.  Clouds  of  gnats 
would  rise  from  the  swamps  with  the  setting  sun  and 
infest  man  and  animal.  Even  during  the  day  hundreds 
of  them  could  be  found  in  the  tents. 

One  may  readily  imagine  that  the  taking  of  pictures 


FLAMINGOES     IN     FLIGHT 


by  flash-light  at  night  under  these  conditions  was  any- 
thing but  fun.  To  protect  my  body  from  the  sting  of 
the  flies,  I  had  to  dress  as  if  for  an  expedition  to  the 

57 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

north  pole.  My  hands  and  face,  however,  I  could 
not  cover  so  well  that  they  were  immune.  My  black 
native  guards  and  carriers  often  could  not  get  a  wink 
of  sleep  during  the  night,  although  they  stretched  them- 


\'':sm'':JvULm''i 


r5!^?ji_i-' 


CORMORANTS     DRYING     THEIR     PLUM.\GE 

selves  by  the  smouldering  camp-fire;  they  took  their 
naps  in  the  daytime 

The  Ndorobbos  and  Mkambas  of  the  neighborhood 
were  in  the  habit  of  hunting  the  big  game  near  the  lakes 
and  swamps.  I  found  many  pits  dug  in  the  ground 
where  they  took  their  stand  and  from  which  they  shot 
their  poisoned  arrows  to  lay  low  the  gnu  and  the  zebra, 
and    even   the   rhinoceros.      But   these  stands  had,  ap- 

58 


X 
n 

> 
w 
n 

H 

pa 
o 
c; 
o 


en 

o 
w 


r 


2 

r 


> 

O 


PI 

W 
> 
O 

o 

o 
c; 
i; 

a 


59 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

parently,  not  been  occupied  for  some  time,  and  I  my- 
self refrained  from  disturbing  the  animals.  From  my 
camp,  as  a  vantage-ground,  I  could  thus  watch  herds 
of  gnus  and  zebras,  and  take  snap-shots  at  will.  They 
were,  unfortunately,  not  all  successful. 

These  quadrupeds  fed  amid  flocks  of  crown  cranes 
and  Nile  geese ;  hundreds  of  gazelles  moved  about  among 
them;  the  male  gnus  grazed. away  from  their  herds,  each 
by  himself,  clearly  outlined  in  the  evening  light.  No 
shallows  break  the  surface  of  these  lakes.  The  water 
reaches  up  to  our  hips  in  those  places  where  the  steppe 
has  been  drained,  by  natural  canals,  into  the  swamps; 
elsewhere  the  average  depth  is  about  two  feet.  The 
shores  are  covered  with  thickets  of  reeds ;  the  surface  of 
the  water  is  covered,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  with 
water-plants,  among  them  the  pothomachccton,  indig- 
enous also  in  Europe,  recognized  and  classified  by  me 
for  the  first  time  in  Gennan  East  Africa. 

I  waded  about  with  my  native  companions  for  hours 
in  this  enormous  sheet  of  water,  watching  the  white 
heron,  the  black-and-white-feathered  "sacred"  ibis, 
the  black  heron,  the  thousands  of  geese,  and  the  flocks 
of  red  flamingoes  on  the  far-off  shore — in  short,  birds  of 
many  kinds  filled  the  air,  flitted  over  the  water,  and 
lined  the  shore. 

A  thick  carpet  of  plants  is  spread  over  the  surface 
of  the  water,  making  it  look  almost  like  firm  land,  and 
impeding  our  progress  while  we  are  wading,   step  by 

60 


r 
M 

O 
M 
M 

M 


o 

r 
o 

H 


6i 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

step,  through  the  entangHng  masses.  The  burning 
sun  causes  the  water  to  evaporate,  and  the  air  near 
the  surface  becomes  humid  ah-nost  beyond  endurance. 
Crowds  of  dwarf  cormorants  have  alighted  on  the  clus- 
ters of  locust  bushes  on  the  small  islands  of  the  lakes, 


VULTURE     AND     RAVEN 


spreading  out  their  wings  to  dry  in  tlie  sunshine. 
Neither  these  nor  other  enemies  of  the  finny  tribes  have 
succeeded  in  decimating  their  nunil^cr.  wShad  abounds 
in  these  waters.  You  may,  within  half  an  hour,  catch 
so  many,  some  of  them  five  and  more  pounds  in  weight, 
that  it  will  take  four  men  to  bring  them  to  the  camp. 
Were  it  not  for  the  mosquitoes  and  small  gnats  which 
creep  into  your  ears,  eyes,  and  nose,  you  might  spend 
days  in  wading  about  and  studying  the  wonders  of 
swamp  life. 

62 


03 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

Thousands  of  reed -birds  fly  about  us  while  we  are 
stalking  along,  twittering  and  chattering  familiarly. 
Suddenly  a  tiny  water-mouse  attracts  our  eye,  and  at 
the  same  time  our  ear  is  filled  with  the  rumbling  grunt 
of  the  most  gigantic  mammal  of  these  swampy  regions, 
the  uncouth  hippopotamus. 

The  peaceful  enjoyment  of  these  scenes  is  often 
rudely  disturbed.  No  crocodiles  were  known  to  haunt 
these  lakes.  It  was,  however,  not  proven  that  there 
were  none. 

One  day,  traversing  one  of  the  temporary  lakes  near 
the  big  swamps,  I  noticed,  not  far  ahead  of  me,  a  vio- 
lent commotion  in  the  water.  My  native  companions 
took  to  their  heels,  screaming,  "Maml)a!  mamba !" 
which  means  crocodile.  The  two  animals  that  moved 
in  my  direction,  the  backs  of  which  only  emerged  at 
times  above  the  surface,  appeared  to  be  crocodiles.  I 
myself,  believing  discretion  to  be  the  better  part  of  val- 
or, followed  my  men,  who  could  not  be  made  to  stop 
until  they  had  reached  the  shore. 

I  soon  became  convinced  that  the  animals  were  not 
crocodiles,  but  big  snakes.  Wading  back  for  some 
distance,  I  succeeded  in  killing  three  pythons  over 
twelve  feet  in  length.  They  had  been  after  the  eggs 
of  the  swamp  birds. 

Every  evening  I  took  my  stand  on  the  small  islands 
of  the  lakes.  The  possible  danger  of  being  suddenly 
surprised  by  hippopotami  only  increased  the  pleasure 

64 


('5 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

of  hunting  ducks  and  birds  of  all  kinds.     Night,  too, 
had  exciting  surprises  in  store  for  us. 

In  many  a  dark  and  cloudy  night  the  roar  of  lions 
could  be  heard  for  hours,  so  that  we  became  used  to  it, 
and  were  sung  to  sleep  by  this  strange  lullaby.  Then 
again,  on  moonlit  nights,  the  l)ulky  forms  of  rhinoceroses 
could  be  seen  moving  about  near  the  cam]^.  It  was  a 
sight  never  to  be  forgotten,  strange  and  imiM-essive, 
the  big  animals  standing  out  in  clearly  defined  outlines 
from  the  steppe  bathed  in  moonlight,  the  snow-clad 
mountain -tops  of  the  Kilimanjaro  looming  up  majes- 
tically behind  them. 


H 


VIII 

EVENING    IN    THE    SWAMPS 

OW  wonderful  are  the  evenings,  how  wonderful 
are  the  nights  in  the  swamps  of  tropical  Africa! 
How  strangely  impressed  is  the  traveller  from  the 
Northern  countries  by  the  rapid  sunsets  and  the  short 
twilight!  Thousands  of  glowworms  begin  their  fire- 
dance;  the  deafening  noise  of  the  cicadas  is  punctu- 
ated by  the  hoarse  croaking  of  the  frogs;  myriads 
of  mosquitoes  begin  to  swarm  from  out  of  the  papyrus 
thickets,  humming  and  buzzing. 

The  birds  of  the  swamps,  too,  become  active  and 
join  in  the  chorus  of  noises.  A  quaint  clucking  and 
chuckling  is  heard.  "The  swamp-hen  is  talking  with 
the  fishes,"  the  natives  say.  Their  belief  is  based  on 
the  fact  that  a  certain  shadlike  fish,  when  caught,  ut- 
ters similar  sounds — in  short,  a  confusion  of  noises  and 
voices  fills  the  air. 

The  fires  in  my  camp  are  lit;  the  pale  crescent  of  the 
moon  breaks  through  the  clouds — there,  a  voice  sounds 
from  the  wilderness  of  the  swamp,  so  powerful  that  it 
shakes   not  only  the  air  l)ut   the  very  earth.     It  is  an 

67 


68 


EVENING    IN    THE    SWAMPS 

old  male  hippopotamus — ol  makao,  called  by  the  Masai, 
kiboko  by  the  Waswahili.  He  is  guiding  his  herd  to  the 
land,  and  leading  them  to  the  feeding-ground  by  the 
well  -  trodden  path  tunnelled  through  the  bushes  and 
thickets. 

Just  before  night  one  may  witness  an  interesting 
scene.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  finchlike  birds  are 
swiftly  flying  towards  the  swamp  to  feed,  and  then  to 
rest  in  the  papyrus  thickets.  In  close  masses,  strung 
out  in  a  long,  continuous  line,  almost  brushing  the  top 
of  the  papyrus  woods,  they  move  along,  suggesting 
an  enormous  snake  in  their  flight.  They  follow  their 
leaders  so  promptly,  they  carry  out  the  various  evolu- 
tions so  automatically,  that  I  am  convinced  that  they 
have  means  of  communication  wath  one  another  that 
we  cannot  perceive  with  our  senses.  Also  multitudes 
of  pigeons  and  guinea-hens  drink  from  the  w^ater  of 
the  lakes  and  then  rest  for  the  night  near  by. 

Every  evening  at  the  same  time,  almost  to  the  min- 
ute, when  the  sky  is  still  tinted  w^ith  the  many  delicate 
colors  of  a  tropical  sunset,  flocks  of  crowned  cranes  come 
flying  slowly  towards  the  water,  uttering  strange  cries 
and  making  a  peculiar  sound  \\\t\\  their  wangs.  The 
twilight  is  of  short  duration  in  the  tropics.  It  has  now 
become  fujly  dark,  and  we  may  have  strayed  away  from 
our  camp.  A  long-drawn  roaring  and  rumbling  sound, 
repeated  at  intcr\als,  warns  us  that  the  king  of  animals 
is  getting  ready   to   hunt.     We  had  better  retreat  to 

69 


WITH    FLASH    LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 


CRANES    FLYING 


our  camp,  for  other  unwelcome  sounds  begin  to  be 
heard.  Somewhere  between  us  and  the  camp  a  striped 
hyena  is  uttering  her  hideous  howl;  two  jackals  are  re- 
sponding not  so  very  far  off.  Just  ahead  of  us  some 
animal  takes  fright,  and,  running  with  long  leaps,  dis- 
appears in  the  reed  thickets.  It  is,  fortunately  for  us, 
only  a  reedbuck.  Now  we  have  reached  our  camp. 
The  fires  have  been  our  guides.  Filled  with  the  many 
impressions  and  emotions  called  forth  by  the  magic  of 
a  tropical  night,  we  lie  down  to  rest. 


IX 

BY    THE    BROOK 

ON  my  fourth  ioiirney  in  East  Africa,  in  the  autumn 
of  1903,  I  encamped  in  the  higher  parts  of  the 
steppe  near  a  mountain  V)r(wk,  where  it  entered  the 
low  lands,  to  lose  itself,  after  a  few  miles,  in  the  dry 
ground.  In  its  course  through  the  lower  steppe  it 
served  as  a  drinking-place  for  the  animals  of  the  sur- 
rounding region,  and  I  could  trace  their  paths  far  and 
wide.  Their  number  was  enormous,  for  the  dry  season 
had  more  and  more  limited  the  water  supply.  The 
brook  flowed  between  high  grass,  reeds,  and  thorn 
thickets,  and  numerous  lions  had,  at  that  time,  their 
lair  near  by.  Forests  of  reeds  covered  its  lower,  dried- 
up  course.  There  the  lions  and  rhinoceroses  were  hid- 
ing during  the  day;  from  there,  at  night,  they  started 
towards  the  brook  to  prey  upon  the  animals  which, 
impelled  by  thirst,  sought  the  water. 

Long  strings  of  sand-hens  come  flying  to  the  brook 
early  in  the  morning.  Other  birds  follow,  from  the 
smallest  to  the  largest,  and  we  have  .a  splendid  oppor- 
tunity to  study  the  East  African  bird  world. 

71 


72 


BY    THE    BROOK 

The  impallah  antelope  alone  among  the  larger  mam- 
mals seeks  the  brook  during  the  day ;  the  rest  follow  in 
the  evening  or  during  the  night.  The  impallahs,  often 
in  troops  of  fifty  to  one  hundred  or  more,  have  a  great 
liking  for  the  tender  grass  growing  in  the  small  depres- 
sions near  the  water.  They  graze  together,  male  and 
female,  until  the  latter  retire  into  the  thickets  and  the 
high,  dry  grass  to  give  birth  to  their  young  ones.  When 
they  see  or  scent  the  approach  of  an  enemy,  man  or 
beast,  the  impallahs  run  to  cover.  Their  flight,  in  long, 
high  leaps,  is  a  sight  which  delights  the  hunter's  heart. 

We  leave  our  camp  towards  evening  to  watch  the 
game  going  to  the  brook.  The  dwarf  antelopes  have 
started  on  their  path.  'They  scent  our  presence  and  go 
to  cover. 

Although  my  sight  is  keen  and  well  trained  to  dis- 
cover game  in  hiding,  it  was  very  difficult  for  me,  in  the 
beginning,  to  distinguish  the  impallahs  from  the  sur- 
rounding thicket,  the  color  of  which,  as  a  rule,  blended 
with  that  of  the  animals.  My  native  companion  used 
to  espy  them  at  once. 

It  is  a  source  of  great  delight  to  me,  when  the  wind 
is  favorable,  to  watch  these  big-eyed,  graceful  animals 
browsing,  with  their  sensitive  snouts  to  the  tender 
grass  and  young  sprouts  of  plants  and  bushes.  The 
nearer  the  sun  approaches  to  the  horizon,  the  larger 
grows  the  number  of  birds  and  quadrupeds  about  the 
brook  and  neighljoring  pools.     My  old  friends,  the  in- 

73 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

telligent   marabous,   eagles,    rollers,    guinea  -  hens,   and 
many  other  birds,  are  perched  on  the  bushes  and  trees. 

Troops  of  beautiful  zebras  may  now  be  seen  coming 
over  the  rolling,  hilly  steppe,  headed  by  experienced 
guides,  the  older  stallions.  Carefully  they  select  a  spot 
near  the  water,  under  the  lee  of  the  bank. 

With  them,  or  soon  after  them,  the  gnus  approach, 
and  here  and  there  appear  small  droves  of  gazelles. 
The  sun  is  setting.  The  gnus  and  zebras  have  reached 
the  water.  The  guides  sniiT  the  air;  they  scent  no 
danger.  The  animals  now  quench  their  thirst  to  their 
hearts'  content;  tlie  timid  stragglers  have  come  up; 
hundreds  of  animals  fill  the  brook — a  unique,  a  won- 
derful  sight! 

They  have  now  drunk  their  fill.  A  gust  of  wind  from 
the  mountains,  passing  my  stand,  blows  in  their  direc- 
tion. The  zebra  stallions  utter  a  peculiar  snort.  The 
animals,  as  fleet  as  the  wind,  take  to  their  heels  and 
disappear  among  the  hills  of  the  steppe.  They  are 
hidden  from  my  sight,  but  the  bellowing  voices  of  the 
stallions  still  strike  my  ears.  It  has  now  grown  fully 
dark,  and  soon  the  beasts  of  prey  will  prowl  about. 
Therefore  I  had  l)etter  return  to  the  camp. 

For  a  time  silence  reigns  on  the  steppe,  upon  which 
the  moon  is  shedding  her  silvery  light.  But  soon 
sounds  familiar  to  the  hunter's  ear  break  the  stillness 
of  the  night.  The  bellowing  of  the  jackal  and  the 
grewsome   howl   of   the    striped   hyena   are   heard,  not 

74 


< 

> 

H 
M 

W 

n 
t/i 

M 
M 
C 

o 


75 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

only  by  us,  but  also  by  the  zebras,  which,  led  by  the 
neighing  stallions,  shake  the  ground  in  their  flight. 
The  roar  of  the  king  of  beasts  is  lacking  to  complete 
this  concert  of  animal  sounds ;  but  we  know  full  well 
that  the  lion  will  hardly  raise  his  mighty  voice  before 
midnight. 

I  had  noticed  in  this  neighborhood  numerous  paths 
and  traces  of  lions.  Thirsty  animals,  at  least,  must 
have  their  lairs  near  by.  I  did  not  set  traps,  nor  did  I 
intend  to  hunt  the  noble  beast.  My  object  was  to  snap 
my  carnera  at  the  king  of  the  desert  at  night,  by  means 
of  the  flash-light.  This  meant  long  and  patient  prep- 
aration; above  all,  I  had  to  study  the  lions'  paths  and 
their  daily,  or  rather  nightly,  habits. 

The  night  advances.  The  heavy  tread  of  many  hoofs 
proves  to  me  that  big  herds  of  animals  are  still  seeking 
the  brook;  they  are,  most  likely,  antelopes,  shy  oryxes, 
and  mighty  elands.  They,  too,  are  circumspect,  for 
they  also  know  that  the  lion,  their  mortal  enemy,  is  in 
hiding  in  the  reed  thickets  of  the  lower  brook.  Hark! 
There  is  no  mistaking  the  sound.  As  if  coming  from 
the  bowels  of  the  earth,  a  rumbling  growl  swells  into  a 
mighty  roar,  to  die  away  again  into  a  ghastly  groan. 
Silence  ensues.  Then  the  roar  is  answered  by  other 
lions — a  mighty  chorus,  the  mightiest  on  earth!  I  can 
distinguish  as  many  as  seven  lions'  voices  coming  from 
different  directions  and  distances.  The  animals  near 
the  brook,  too,  have  heard  the  sound  of  the  awakening 

76 


N 

a 
a 

JO 

> 
w 

O 
2 

H 

X 
W 


> 

k; 
O 

a 
w 

ta 

o 
o 


77 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

beasts  of  prey  and  are  making  in  haste  for  the  wide 
steppe. 

Now  the  roar  of  a  lion  is  heard  dangerously  near. 
My  men  are  aroused  from  their  sleep  and  stir  the 
camp-fires.  Those  on  the  outskirts  of  the  camp  draw 
nearer  the  centre,  the  Askari  guards  become  more 
watchful.  The  precaution  is  afterwards  proved  neces- 
sary, for  next  morning  the  impressions  of  mighty  paws 
are  to  be  seen  not  far  from  where  some  of  my  men  had 
been  sleeping  before  they  drew  nearer  the  fires. 

I  know  very  well  that  my  statement  that  lions  may 
be  found  together  in  troops  will  not  easily  be  credited ; 
but  my  experience  has  proved  this  to  be  the  case — 
fortunately  for  me,  inasmuch  as  the  number  of  lions 
prowling  around  my  camp  at  the  time  of  which  I  am 
speaking  greatly  facilitated  my  attempts  to  photograph 
them  at  night  l:)y  means  of  flash-light.  The  best  proof 
that  I  finally  succeeded  in  doing  so,  in  .spite  of  the 
enormous  diriiculties  and  notwithstanding  many  abor- 
tive efforts,  lies  in  the  pictures  to  be  found  in  this  book. 

My  method  of  procedure  was  simple  enough,  but 
dangerous.  Towards  evening  I  would  l)ind  some  ani- 
mal, as  a  rule  an  ass,  to  a  tree  near  the  path  of  the 
beasts.  The  animals  used  as  bait  are  not  exposed  to 
any  suffering,  for  the  lion  kills  his  prey  quickly  with 
one  bite  in  the  neck.  Taking  mv  stand  near  by,  and 
placing  the  apparatus  in  position,  I  waited  until  I 
heard  and  saw  the  beast  approach  its  prey.     It  goes 

78 


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i^aiBvi 


-jtar-jBiifc'*; 


U^riiiBita 


79 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

without  saying  that  I  had  to  register  more  failures  than 
successes. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  pictures  I  ever  took,  the 
one  showing  a  lion  and  lioness  attacking  an  animal 
fastened  to  a  tree,  I  almost  spoiled  in  trying  to  develop 
it  in  my  camp.  It  was  saved  by  the  art  of  my  friend 
Captain  Kiesling.  I  can  hardly  describe  the  joy  I  felt 
when,  after  months,  the  captain's  telegram,  containing 
the  one  word  "Saved,''  reached  me  in  the  wilderness. 

From  this  picture  it  is  evident  that  lions  do  not  ap- 
proach their  prey  leaping,  but  rather  crawling  close  to 
the  ground,  and  also  that  the  lioness  leads  in  the  at- 
tack. Many  of  the  lions  which  I  had  occasion  to  watch 
approached  the  animals  whom  I  tised  as  bait  within  a 
few  feet,  but  then  turned  away  to  hunt  their  accus- 
tomed prey,  the  wild  herds  of  the  steppe. 

These  days  and  nights  were  full  of  anxiety,  suspense, 
and  also  disappointments  for  me.  One  day  Masai 
warriors  carried  off  one  of  my  photographic  instru- 
ments, and,  as  a  result,  I  had  to  increase  the  number  of 
guards.  But  when  I  did  finally  accomplish  my  purpose — 
when  I  caught  the  king  of  animals,  the  mightiest  beast 
of  prey,  in  the  act,  as  it  were,  and  held  the  documentary 
evidence  on  the  small,  sensitive  plate — my  joy  was 
simply  without  bounds.  Even  my  stoic  blacks  became 
excited  and  discussed  this  memorable  event  for  many 
days. 

One   seldom   meets   a   lion   in   the   daytime.      During 

80 


BY    THE    BROOK 

my  photographic  experiments,  I  did  not  have  one 
chance  to  shoot  a  Hon  during  the  day.  But  hardly  had 
I  set  up  traps  when  I  caught  seven  male  lions  with 
thick  manes  in  quick  succession. 

I  had  thus  spent  days  and  weeks  when  distant  clouds 
indicated  that  the  rainy  season  in  the  steppe  had  set 
in.  All  at  once  the  large  aggregation  of  animals  around 
the  brook  and  the  neighboring  pools  dispersed.  They 
knew  that  they  would  now  find  fresh,  tender  grass  on 
the  far  stretches  of  the  steppe,  and  everywhere  pools 
of  water  which  would  make  it  possible  for  them  to  stray 
far  away  from  the  brook,  at  which  they  could  drink  only 
at  the  constant  risk  of  their  lives. 


X 

THE    AFRICAN    ELEPHANT 

OUR  knowledge  of  the  ways  and  habits  of  the  Afri- 
can giant  of  mammals  is  but  meagre.  We  know 
that  in  the  time  of  Scipio  man  had  succeeded  in  pressing 
the  African  elephant  into  his  service  just  as  he  still  suc- 
ceeds with  the  Indian  elephant.  For  many  centuries 
these  thick-skinned  animals  were  left  to  themselves, 
and,  no  doubt,  ranged  in  immense  numbers  far  and 
wide  over  the  whole  continent  south  of  the  Sahara. 
All  this  changed  when  the  European  settlers  and  mer- 
chants penetrated  into  the  interior.  Suddenly  ivory 
became  a  much -desired  article  of  trade.  To  be  sure, 
great  masses  of  ivory  had  been  treasured  by  negro 
chiefs  of  the  western  coast.  The  demand,  however,  ex- 
ceeded this  supply,  and  soon  the  animals  were  hunted 
by  natives  and  Europeans  alike,  and  butchered  in  the 
most  reckless  manner  for  the  sake  of  their  valuable 
tusks.  Formerly  the  natives  had  no  special  reasons 
to  destroy  these  animals;  but  when  ivory  became  a 
valuable  article  of  exchange,  and  when  the  natives 
learned  to  use  fire-arms,  then  the  war  of  extermination 
began  on  a  large  scale. 

82 


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w 

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o 

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o 

m 

O 
m 


Z 

o 

m 

a 


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H 

M 
c/i 


l^iffiiAlikai! 


83 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

The  commerce  in  ivory  proved  to  what  extent  this 
war  is  being  carried  on.  At  Antwerp  alone — not  to 
mention  other  ports  —  the  import  of  ivory  from  1888 
to  I  go 2  amounted  to  six  milHon  five  hundred  thousand 
pounds.  We  have  not  yet  discovered  a  desirable  sub- 
stitute for  the  ivory,  and  so  the  destruction  of  the 
elephant  continues.  If  the  governments  do  not  soon 
combine  in  restricting  this  slaughter,  the  African  ele- 
phant will  ere  long  be  counted  among  the  extinct  species 
of  animals. 

The  Indian  elephant  is  tolerably  safe,  compared  with 
his  African  cousin,  because  the  tusks  of  the  Asiatic  male 
elephant  are  small,  and  because  the  female  has  either  no 
tusks  at  all  or  insignificantly  small  ones.  The  African 
elephant,  on  the  contrary,  has  enormous  tusks.  Even 
female  elephants  carry  tusks,  each  weighing  from  ten  to 
thirty,  or  even  forty  pounds,  while  the  average  weight 
of  the  single  tusk  of  the  male  is  fifty  pounds.  The  size 
and  weight  of  tusks  of  exceptionally  large  animals  are 
sometimes  phenomenal.  In  1898  an  old  male  elephant 
was  killed  by  native  hunters  not  far  from  the  Kili- 
manjaro, the  tusks  of  which  had  a  combined  weight  of 
four  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  These  enormous  teeth 
created  quite  a  sensation  when  they  were  brought  to 
market  in  Zanzibar.  One  of  these  tusks,  the  largest  in 
existence,  is  at  present  in  the  British  Museum  in  Lon- 
don, the  other  is  in  the  United  States  of  America. 

Yet  tusks  of  over  one  hundred  pounds  are  pretty  rare. 

84 


THE    AFRICAN    ELEPHANT 

The  weight  does  not  ahvays  depend  on  the  age  and  size 
of  the  animal.  Not  only  do  the  different  varieties  of 
elephants  differ  as  to  the  average  weight  of  their  tusks, 
but  different  members  of  the  same  family  show  dis- 
similarity in  this  respect.  The  South  African  elephant's 
tusks  are  considerably  inferior  in  size  and  weight  to 
those  of  the  elephant  in  equatorial  Africa. 

Mr.  Rowland  Ward,  in  his  book,  Records  of  Big  Game, 
gives  the  weights  and  measurements  of  the  biggest 
tusks  known  to  us.  The  African  elephant  exceeds  the 
antediluvian  mammoth  as  well  as  the  Indian  elephant; 
the  biggest  tusk  is  twenty-four  and  a  quarter  inches  in 
circumference,  ten  and  a  half  feet  long,  and  two  hundred 
and  twenty-six  pounds  m  weight. 

Elephants  usually  live  in  herds.  But  solitary  males 
are  often  met  with;  they  are,  for  the  most  part,  old 
animals  with  big  bodies  and  enormously  developed 
skulls.  On  this  account,  not  because  they  are  ferocious, 
it  is  more  difficult  to  kill  them  than  smaller  animals. 
The  most  dangerous  animals  of  a  herd  are  the  ones 
without  tusks.  It  often  takes  fifty  or  more  shots  to 
kill  a  strong  old  male  elephant. 

The  elephants  use  their  tusks  not  only  as  weapons, 
but  employ  them  largely  in  getting  their  food ;  as,  for 
instance,  in  grubbing  up  edible  roots,  loosening  the 
roots  of  trees  which  they  cannot  otherwise  tear  from 
the  ground,  and  in  barking  trees.  The  bark  of  trees 
is  not  only  food  for  the  animal,  but  the  chewing  of  the 

85 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

bark  will  also  allay  its  thirst.  The  cud  is  dropped  on 
the  ground.  One  may  often  trace  the  path  of  the 
elephant,  as  Robinson  Crusoe  did  on  his  island,  by 
these  signs — barked  trees  and  small  heaps  of  chewed 
bark.  The  trail  is  also  often  marked  by  trodden-down 
and  uprooted  trees  of  goodly  size.  The  development 
of  the  tusks  is,  no  doubt,  aided  by  the  uses  to  which 
the  elephant  puts  them  in  acquiring  his  food,  and,  in 
a  minor  degree,  in  maintaining  discipline  in  the  herd 
and  in  fighting  rival  males. 

The  paths  of  the  elephants  arc  easily  followed  in  the 
rainy  season,  when  they  leave  deep  footprints  in  the 
soft  ground.  The  holes  made  by  the  animals,  wdiich 
mostly  tread  in  the  footsteps  of  their  leaders,  are  often 
astonishingly  deep.  Even  during  the  dry  season  the 
clearly  defined  outlines  of  the  elephants'  soles  are  easily 
recognized  in  the  dust.  The  marks  left  by  the  hind 
feet  of  the  male  are  long  and  narrow,  those  of  the  fe- 
male are  roundish. 

The  East  African  elephant  feeds,  according  to  my 
observations,  exclusively  on  the  twigs,  bark,  and  fruits 
of  trees,  but  never  on  grass.  He  will  also  chew  the 
stem  of  the  Sansevieria  plant.  Such  stems,  chewed  dry, 
may  often  be  found  in  heaps  over  a  wide  area  of  the 
steppe,  bleached  white  by  the  sun,  and  visible  at  a  great 
distance.  As  this  plant  contains  a  great  deal  of  sap,  and 
grows  plentifully  in  the  most  arid  regions  of  the  steppe, 
it  is  to  the  elephant  a  wonderful  substitute  for  water. 

86 


THE    AFRICAN    ELEPHANT 

The  favorite  haunts  of  the  elephant  in  tropical  East 
Africa  are  not,  as  one  may  think,  the  cool,  shady,  dense 
forests,  but  rather  the  mountainous  districts  with  a 
scattered  growth  of  trees.  He  frequents  the  wooded 
parts  of  the  steppe  chiefly  during  the  rainy  season ;  at 
other  times  he  prefers  to  make  his  temporary  home  in 
high  grass,  in  impenetrable  thickets  situated  near  lakes 
and  rivers,  and  also  on  high  plateaus.  The  natives — the 
Masai  and  the  Wandorobbo — call  these  haunts  snhiigo. 
They  are  commonly  on  ground  of  such  elevation  that 
they  are  assured  of  occasional  rain  -  showers  even  in 
the  dry  season.  From  there  the  elephants  stray  far 
into  the  surrounding  steppe  during  the  rainy  season. 

The  thickets  where  tlje  elephant  and  also  the  rhinoc- 
eros love  to  dwell  are  not  easily  traversed  by  man. 
Progress  is  slow  unless  the  hunter  follows  the  paths 
which  the  animals  themselves  have  made.  When  at- 
tacked by  a  ferocious  or  wounded  elephant  in  these 
parts,  he  may  have  great  difficulty  in  escaping. 

The  localities  favored  by  elephants  are,  as  we  have 
seen,  few  and  restricted.  In  parts  of  the  country 
where  they  are  regularly  hunted — that  is,  almost  every- 
where— European  travellers  hardly  ever  catch  sight  of 
one.  The  animal  is  too  wary  to  leave  his  hiding-place 
except  at  night.  The  former  commandant  of  a  station 
near  the  Kilimanjaro  assured  me  himself  that  he  had 
not  seen  a  single  elephant  during  his  stay  of  seven  years. 

No  doubt  there  are  still  a  number  of  elephants  in  the 

87 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

steppe  around  the  Kilimanjaro  and  in  the  mountainous 
regions.  Elephants  have  been  known  to  climb  moun- 
tains over  ten  thousand  feet  high,  and  to  remain  upon 
them  for  a  considerable  length  of  time.  The  profession- 
al hunters,  who  enjoy  a  monopoly,  have  reduced  the 
number  of  these  animals,  which  a  few  yf ars  ago  amount- 
ed to  many  thousands,  to  a  mere  handful.  According 
to  my  careful  calculation,  there  are  to-day  not  more 
than  one  thousand  elephants  in  the  area  around  the 
Kilimanjaro.  These  may  be  preserved  if  the  govern- 
ments of  the  colonies,  the  English  and  German  in  par- 
ticular, agree  to  enforce  a  systematic  protection  of  the 
animals.  They  must,  above  all,  abolish  the  institu- 
tion of  the  "ivory  fines"  which  the  natives  can  only 
pay  by  killing  a  certain  number  of  animals.  The  gov- 
ernment of  Cape  Colony  has  succeeded  in  preserving 
large  herds  of  elephants  in  the  Zitzikamma  and  Knysna 
forests.  Why  should  this  be  impossible  in  German 
East  Africa  ?  The  region  of  the  Kilimanjaro  is  not  fit 
for  Europeans  or  even  natives  to  live  in,  therefore  it 
might  be  left  to  the  elephants. 

Before  the  settlement  of  South  and  East  Africa, 
during  the  last  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  ele- 
phants ranged  over  every  part  of  the  country  in  sur- 
prising abundance.  The  early  settlers  and  European 
hunters  tell  us  of  herds  consisting  of  many  hundreds 
of  animals,  which  were  soon  to  be  slaughtered  for  the 
sake  of  their  tusks. 

88 


THE    AFRICAN    ELEPHANT 

To-day  the  elephant  is  almost  extinct  in  South  Africa. 
Besides  a  few  specimens  kept  in  preserves  near  Cape 
Town,  only  a  few  herds,  in  remote,  unhealthy  districts 
and  in  the  protected  forests,  are  left.  To  judge  from 
the  trustworthy  report  of  natives,  East  Africa  also 
was  formerly  alive  with  herds  of  the  gigantic  pachy- 
derms. Not  so  many  years  ago  large  caravans  used 
to  start  from  the  coast  and  penetrate  into  the  Masai 
steppe  in  order  to  exchange  many  kinds  of  goods  for 
precious  ivory.  A  whole  year,  or  longer,  they  would 
wander  about  in  the  land  between  the  coast  and  Lake 
Victoria  to  trade  with  the  Masai  and  the  Wandorobbo, 
who,  for  a  long  time,  were  the  chief  elephant  hunters 
in  these  parts.  These  two  native  tribes  were  soon 
joined  by  the  Masai-El  Morane,  who  also  wanted  to 
profit  by  the  ivory  trade.  During  the  night  the  cara- 
vans protected  themselves  by  thorn-fences  against  the 
rapacious  natives,  who  were  anxious  to  get  as  much 
as  they  could  of  the  caravans'  goods  without  making 
a  return.  The  day  was  spent  in  bargaining  for  ivory. 
It  often  took  days  and  weeks  to  obtain  a  few  valuable - 
teeth  from  the  cunning  natives,  who  knew  how  to  drive 
a  close  bargain. 

When  these  caravans  had  acquired  as  much  ivorv 
as  they  could  transport,  they  returned  to  the  coast  to 
deliver  the  tusks  to  the  Arab  or  Indian  traders.  These 
had  fitted  out  the  caravans  and  had  advanced  money 
and  goods  to   the   men;    they   therefore   claimed   and 

89 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

obtained  the  lion's  share  of  the  profits  of  the  enterprise. 
Many  caravans  successfully  combined  the  ivory  trade 
with  the  slave  trade.  On  the  shoulders  of  slaves, 
bought  or  captured  natives,  the  precious  teeth  were 
often  shipped  to  the  market,  in  which  the  carriers,  too, 
could  be  sold.  This  was  surely  the  most  simple  and 
profitable  solution  of  the  question  of  transportation. 

The  treasures  of  ivory  brought  to  the  coast  increased, 
and  the  number  of  the  ivory  -  producing  animals  de- 
creased phenomenally  when  rifles  and  ammunition  be- 
came articles  of  trade  with  the  natives  of  the  interior 
districts. 

It  sounds  strange,  but  it  is  true,  that  the  innocent 
billiard-players  of  civilized  countries  are  largely  respon- 
sible for  the  almost  total  extinction  of  the  African  ele- 
phant. There  is  no  material,  from  which  the  best 
quality  of  balls  may  be  turned  on  the  lathe,  so  soft  and 
so  elastic  as  the  ivory  tusk  of  the  female  elephant. 

Conditions  have  changed ;  the  hunting  expeditions 
on  a  large  scale  are  a  thing  of  the  past.  There  are  still 
caravans  of  smaller  size  fitted  out  to  carry  on  this 
trade  in  ivory,  but  they  are  obliged  to  penetrate  far 
into  the  interior  to  accomplish  their  purpose.  Some 
years  ago  I  met  such  a  caravan,  about  four  hundred 
strong.  They  traversed  and  retraversed  the  com- 
paratively unexplored  country  between  Lake  Rudolf 
and  the  Nile,  which  is  still  rich  in  ivory.  This  caravan 
was    supplied  with   breech  -  loading  rifles.     They  used 

90 


THE    AFRICAN    ELEPHANT 

them  with  destructive  effect,  not  only  against  the  ele- 
phants, but  also  against  other  game  on  which  they  fed. 
These  expeditions  will  soon  cease,  because  the  profits 
grow  smaller  and  smaller. 

The  temho,  as  the  Waswahili  call  the  elephant,  has 
adapted  himself  to  the  changed  conditions.  He  has 
grown  exceedingly  cautious  and  keeps  out  of  the  sight 
of  man  as  much  as  possible,  issuing  forth  from  the  pro- 
tecting thickets  only  at  night. 

The  elephants  keep  to  the  thickets  and  the  remote 
mountain  retreats  during  the  dry  season;  during  the 
rainy  season,  when  food  and  water  become  plentiful, 
they  roam  over  the  open  steppe.  The  herds  move  very 
quickly.  It  is,  therefore,  often  very  unsatisfactory  and 
hopeless  to  follow  even  the  fresh  tracks  of  the  animals, 
who  may  have  gone  ahead  without  stopping,  to  the 
next  dense  thicket  or  swamp,  or  into  the  mountains, 
or  to  some  far-off  place  in  the  steppe.  It  is  often  im- 
possible to  make  out  the  number  of  the  animals,  be- 
cause they  form  a  line  to  proceed  more  quickly,  and 
each  steps  in  the  footprint  of  the  one  ahead.  They 
often  keep  up  their  quick  step  for  hours  and  hours, 
apparently  without  resting,  so  that  it  is  almost  fruit- 
less to  follow  them. 

One  often  meets  elephants  unexpectedly  near  hunt- 
ing-camps and  settlements,  where  they  may  have  been 
for  days  or  weeks.  The  intelligent  animals  realize  that 
one  does  not  naturally  look  for  them  there,  but  rather 

91 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

away  from  human  habitations.  A  Greek  trader,  hving 
at  a  station  in  Moschi,  told  me  that  he  once  killed  a 
huge  male  elephant  almost  within  sight  of  the  station. 
The  natives  had  observed  the  animal  for  days,  and  re- 
ported his  presence  to  the  merchant.  The  officers  of 
the  station  told  me  of  similar  experiences. 

The  reckless  killing  of  these  valuable  animals  should 
be  stopped  before  it  is  too  late.  A  good  beginning  has 
been  made  by  Count  Goetzen,  the  German  governor 
of  the  Moschi  district,  who  has  issued  ordinances  for- 
bidding in  no  equivocal  terms  the  hunting  and  killing 
of  elephants  in  this  province. 

The  elephant  is  capable  of  developing  extraordinary 
speed,  as  I  have  often  had  occasion  to  observe.  The 
usual  gait  is  neither  a  trot  nor  a  gallop,  but  a  kind  of 
shuffle.  This  may  be  quickened  into  a  shuffling  trot. 
The  animal  moves  on  its  path  noiselessly,  like  the 
rhinoceros  and  hippopotamus;  on  the  dry  ground  of 
the  steppe,  however,  a  trotting  herd  produces  a  thun- 
der like  rumbling  noise. 

The  elephants  are  excellent  mountain-climbers,  and 
they,  as  well  as  the  rhinoceroses,  have  left  their  traces  in 
the  softer  kinds  of  stone  on  the  very  top  of  high  moun- 
tains. Their  paths  often  lead  over  steep  mountain- 
saddles,  and  they  frequently  shorten  their  marches  by 
sliding  downhill  in  a  sitting  posture.  Although  they 
are  bulky,  they  are  at  the  same  time  agile  and  graceful, 
as  any  one  may  observe  by  visiting  the  circus,  where 

92 


THE    AFRICAN    ELEPHANT 

trained  elephants,  like  gigantic  athletes,  perform  all 
kinds  of  tricks  from  sliding  down  an  inclined  plane  to 
standing  on  their  heads. 

The  elephant,  when  he  attacks  his  enemy,  rushes 
forward  with  great  speed,  uttering  piercing,  trumpet- 
like sounds,  his  big  ears  standing  out  from  his  head. 
I  have  been  told  by  reliable  natives  that  elephants,  on 
various  occasions,  turned  on  the  hunters,  threw  them 
to  the  ground,  and  pierced  them  with  their  tusks.  In 
one  instance  an  old  male  elephant  threw  down  a  hunt- 
er, crushed  his  head  with  his  forefoot,  plunged  his  tusk 
into  him,  and  slit  him  open  as  with  a  knife.  The  un- 
timely and  tragic  death  of  the  man  whose  body  was 
found  by  Prince  Ruspoli  while  hunting  in  Somaliland, 
was  doubtless  brought  about  in  a  similar  manner.  As 
a  rule  the  elephant  charges  in  a  straight  line.  There- 
fore, it  is  safest  to  dodge  to  the  right  or  left  in  order  to 
escape  the  pursuing  animal.  The  sense  of  smell  is  ex- 
tremely acute  in  the  elephant,  as  is  also  that  of  hearing, 
while  the  eyes  are  small  and  weak.  The  elephant,  in 
most  cases,  scents  his  enemy  before  he  hears  or  sees 
him. 

If  one  has  had  the  opportunity  of  observing  elephants 
for  weeks,  then  one  can  understand  how  a  small  num- 
ber, at  least,  of  the  originally  large  herds  have  escaped 
their  pursuers.  I  often  had  occasion  to  observe,  from 
an  elevated  position,  groups  of  these  animals  gathered 
in  a  valley  below  me.     They  raised  their  trunks  high 

93 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

up  at  the  slightest  stir  of  the  air  to  smell  the  approach 
of  a  possible  enemy,  and  to  insure  the  safety  of  the 
herd. 

There  is  also  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that  the  elephants, 
in  consequence  of  these  highly  developed  senses,  have 
means  of  communication,  especially  by  noises  imper- 
ceptible to  us.  Or  have  they  organs  of  sense  -  percep- 
tion which  we  do  not  possess?  Their  sense  of  hearing 
is  without  doubt  more  acute  than  ours,  their  pendulous 
ears  acting  as  large  sound-receivers. 

At  one  time  I  found  two  old  males  herding  with  a 
male  giraffe.  I  observed  the  three  animals  together 
for  over  a  week.  They  were  apparently  associated  for 
their  common  security,  the  elephants  combining  their 
acute  sense  of  smell  with  the  giraffe's  keen  sense  of 
sight.  Elephants  have  been  found  together  with 
zebras  and  gazelles  by  A.  H.  Newman,  the  English 
elephant  hunter,  but  I  think  I  can  claim  priority  in 
observing  elephants  associated  with  a  giraft'e. 

I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the  elephants  choose  moun- 
tainous haunts  with  foresight.  There  the  currents  of 
air  are  not  apt  to  be  steady,  as  in  the  plains,  but  more 
or  less  fluctuating  under  the  influence  of  the  sun,  and 
the  animals  are  enabled  to  make  good  use  of  their  su- 
perior organs  of  smell. 

When  the  elephant  has  reason  to  feel  safe  and  secure, 
he  moves  about  carelessly,  and  utters  now  and  then  a 
trumpet-like  sound  from  mere  joy  of  living.     Ordinarily, 

94 


THE   AFRICAN    ELEPHANT 

he  is  very  careful  and  shy,  remaining  all  day  in  his  hid- 
ing-place, leaving  it  only  at  night,  not  uttering  the  slight- 
est sound  except  to  warn  the  herd  of  danger.  Certain 
noises  made  by  the  elephant,  which  often  guide  the 
hunter  to  the  stand  of  the  animal,  are  entirely  invol- 
untary. They  accompany,  as  in  other  large  herbivo- 
rous animals,  the  process  of  digestion.  The  capacious 
stomach  of  the  elephant  is  long  and  narrow;  filled  with 
incredible  quantities  of  food,  this  mighty  laboratory 
cannot  be  expected  to  work  noiselessly. 

The  elephant,  no  doubt,  selects  or  shifts  his  stand 
frequently,  with  the  view  of  avoiding  his  most  persist- 
ent tormentor,  the  gadfly.  Shady  thickets  and  groves 
of  trees  offer  the  best  protection. 

I  am  told  by  natives' that  the  elephant  is  able  to  de- 
tect the  paths  of  human  beings  by  smelling  the  ground. 
I  mysolf  have  seen  a  herd  increase  their  speed  when 
they  passed  a  path  on  which  I  had  travelled  two  days 
before. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  elephants  profit  by  ex- 
periences, particularly  bad  ones.  Nothing,  for  instance, 
can  induce  a  tamed  elephant  to  step  on  a  wooden  plat- 
form which  has  once  given  way  under  him.  In  the 
state  of  freedom  an  elephant  shuns  a  neighborhood 
where  he  once  has  had  an  experience  with  pitfalls. 

It  has  been  observed  that  in  the  Masai  plateaus  sev- 
eral herds  congregate  together  towards  the  month  of 
October,    each    herd,    however,    retaining   its    identity. 

95 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

At  this  time,  also,  herds  consisting  only  of  middle-aged 
males  join  other  herds;  at  other  times  the  sexes  are 
strictly  separated  within  the  larger  groups.  The  dis- 
tinctions of  sex,  of  age,  and  also  those  of  a  social  nat- 
ure are  presumably  not  so  carefully  guarded  now  as 
formerly. 

Very  old  males  are  mostly  found  separated  from  the 
herds,  wandering  about  alone  or  in  pairs.  The  propa- 
gation of  the  species  is  left  to  the  middle  -  aged  male 
animals. 

The  young  elephant,  the  mother  of  which  has  been 
killed,  is  invariably  adopted  and  suckled  by  other  fe- 
males, which  proves  the  strong  family  feeling  prevail- 
ing within  a  herd. 

The  young  ones  are  suckled  for  about  two  years; 
the  period  of  gestation  is  also  nearly  two  years,  and  a 
single  young  one  is  produced  at  a  birth.  The  females 
are  able  to  bear  young  ones  when  about  fifteen  years 
old,  while  the  males  enter  the  state  of  puberty  some- 
what earlier.  The  elephants  are  full-grown  at  twenty- 
five,  and  often  attain  a  good  old  age. 

Although  the  elephants  are  not  plagued  very  much 
by  ticks,  they  yet  seem  to  delight  in  rolling  about  in 
the  mud,  in  throwing  dust  or  earth  over  their  backs 
with  their  trunks,  and  in  rubbing  their  skin  against 
trees.  In  forests  composed  of  larger  trees,  one  may 
notice  hundreds  the  bark  of  which  is  rubbed  off  at  a 
certain  height.     On  July  23,  1903,  I  found  on  trees  in 

96 


THE    AFRICAN    ELEPHANT 

the  forests  of  the  western  Kilimanjaro  such  marks 
fifteen  feet  from  the  ground. 

The  natives  of  German  East  Africa,  for  many  decades, 
have  been  hunting  the  elephant  for  the  sake  of  the 
ivory,  either  on  their  own  account  or  in  the  pay  of 
enterprising  native  or  foreign  traders.  They  still  use 
muzzle-kiaders.  They  follow  the  elephants  into  the 
thickets,  in  groups  of  three  or  more,  and  often  pursue 
the  wounded  animals  for  days.  Every  hunter  marks 
the  bullets  he  uses,  so  that  there  may  be  no  doubt  who 
has  fired  the  fatal  shot.  These  hordes  of  native  hunt- 
ers are  very  superstitious.  They  wear  charms  about 
their  bodies,  and,  confiding  in  their  magic  power,  ap- 
proach the  animals  fearlessly.  They  take  more  chances 
than  any  white  hunter  would  care  to  assume. 

Unless  the  colonial  governments  step  in  in  time,  these 
black  hunters  will,  in  the  long  run,  clear  East  Africa 
of  elephants  and  other  big  game  as  effectually  as  the 
natives  of  South  Africa,  armed  with  muskets,  have  done 
in  their  part  of  the  "  Dark  Continent  "  since  the  middle 
of  the  nineteenth  century.  Let  us,  however,  hope  that 
measures  will  generally  be  taken,  such  as  have  been 
adopted  by  Count  Goetzen,  to  preserve  the  remnants 
of  big  game,  such  as  the  elephant,  giraffe,  rhinoceros, 
and  hippopotamus. 

The  Wandorobbo  and  Wakamba  still  hunt  the  ele- 
phant in  the  old-fashioned  way — namely,  with  poisoned 
arrows.  They  follow  the  wounded  animals  for  days  and 
7  97 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

days,  and  rarely  lose  one.  Vultures  and  marabous  act 
as  unfailing  guides.  Some  Wandorobbo  tribes  use  also 
poisoned  spears  on  their  dangerous  hunt. 

There  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  the  African  elephant 
may  not  be  tamed  and  educated  as  well  as  the  Asiatic 
species.     This  might  be  done  by  Indian  trainers. 

The  African  natives,  who  frequently  capture  calves, 
do  not  rear  them,  because  they  would  be  of  no  use  to 
them.  Besides,  only  the  cattle-raising  tribes  could 
keep  them  alive  until  they  were  able  to  quit  a  milk 
diet.  Moreover,  the  climatic  and  topographical  con- 
ditions are  so  different  in  Africa  from  those  in  India 
that  it  is  an  open  question  whether  it  would  pay  to 
press  this  giant  animal  into  the  service  of  man  in  the 
"Dark  Continent." 

How  the  fauna  of  Africa  has  changed  within  com- 
paratively recent  years!  Fifty  years  ago  the  coun- 
tries now  comprised  in  German  Southwest  Africa  were 
teeming  with  herds  of  elephants  and  rhinoceroses.  W. 
Cotton-Oswell  wrote  in  those  days:  "Vardon  was  the 
most  enthusiastic  rhinoceros  hunter ;  he  filled  his  wagon 
with  rhinoceros  horns,  as  I  did  mine  with  ivory;  he 
used  to  shoot  four  or  five  every  day,  and  there  was  al- 
ways a  freshness  about  the  sport  to  him  which  seemed 
remarkable.  He  was  an  all  -  round  shot,  but  best  at 
rhinoceros.  ..." 

This  was  in  the  good  old  time  when  men  like  Oswell 
decimated   the   enormous   herds  of   South  Africa,   and 

98 


THE    AFRICAN    ELEPHANT 

when  the  Boers  on  their  northward  advance  into  the 
veldt  slaughtered  all  kinds  of  game — the  time  of  which 
he  only  has  an  idea  who,  like  myself,  has  been  privileged 
to  hunt  in  countries  with  a  virgin  fauna. 

The  process  of  extermination,  so  successfully  carried 
out  in  the  south,  is  merrily  progressing  in  equatorial 
Africa,  especially  in  the  western  parts;  for,  not  so 
long  ago,  the  governor  of  German  Kamerun  granted  the 
black  elephant  hunters  permission  to  use  breech-loaders. 
We  may  retard  the  complete  extinction  of  the  biggest 
of  mammals;  we  will  hardly  be  able  to  prevent  it. 

The  day  is  not  far  off,  I  am  afraid,  when  to  the  ques- 
tion, "Quid  novi  ex  Africa?"  the  answer  must  be  given, 
"They  have  killed  the  last  of  the  African  elephants." 


XI 

HUNTING    THE    ELEPHANT 

I  HAD  been  unsuccessfully  trying  for  months  to  take 
satisfactory  long-distance  pictures  of  elephants  and 
to  capture  a  young  one  alive.  At  last  my  patience  was 
amply  rewarded  one  morning  in  September.  A  number 
of  elephants — most  likely  to  escape  the  poisoned  arrows 
of  the  Wakamba — came  down  from  the  mountainous 
region  and  paid  a  visit  to  my  camp  near  the  brook. 
They  had  crossed  and  recrossed  the  brook  repeated- 
ly, and  had  approached  within  a  thousand  feet  of  the 
camp.  I  followed  in  their  track,  to  study  their  ways, 
and  found  that  they  had  not,  as  I  supposed  they  would, 
taken  the  direction  towards  the  mountains,  but  had 
turned  their  steps,  in  single  file,  into  the  steppe.  I  re- 
turned to  the  camp,  prepared  myself  for  a  long  march, 
and  started  in  pursuit,  taking  with  me  my  best-armed 
men  and  about  forty  carriers.  The  herd  numbered 
twenty  or  more,  to  judge  from  the  traces.  Some  young 
ones  were  among  them,  a  number  of  strong  females, 
and  also  a  few  bulls;  the  latter  I  could  easily  make 
out  by  the  long  and  narrow  impressions  made  by  their 

lOO 


HUNTING    THE    ELEPHANT 

hind  feet.  I  was  very  eager  to  capture  a  young  animal, 
though  this  would  be  especially  difficult  on  the  open 
steppe  and  considering  the  size  of  the  herd. 

Before  us  lay  a  march  of  many  hours ;  we  could  not 
venture  in  the  dry  season  too  far  from  our  camp,  since 


PROFESSIONAL    ELEPHANT     HUNTERS 


our  water  supply  was  limited  to  what  we  carried  with 
us.  The  herd  had  gained  considerable  headway,  walk- 
ing with  a  quick  shuffle,  apparently  without  stopping. 
Heaps  of  Sansevieria  plants  and  bark  of  trees,  taken 
and  chewed  dry  while  they  walked  on,  littered  their 
path.  We  followed  it,  stepping  lively,  my  best  men 
forming  the  rear  guard  so  as  to  keep  the  long  column 

JOI 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

moving.  Tramp,  tramp,  tramp,  we  went  along  silently, 
in  the  well-beaten  track  on  the  hot,  dry  ground  in  the 
glow  of  the  mid-day  sun.  Hour  after  hour  passed  and 
our  strength  was  wellnigh  exhausted. 

Suddenly  we  see  an  object  near  a  group  of  trees. 
My  field  -  glass  tells  me  it  is  a  solitary  male  giraffe, 
which  passes  out  of  sight  as  soon  as  he  has  scented 
us.  Now  we  are  crossing  the  deep,  dried-out  bed  of  a 
periodic  river.  Heading  the  line,  I  arrive  first  on  top 
of  the  high  embankment  on  the  opposite  shore.  About 
two  hundred  feet  in  front  of  me  I  notice  a  dark  mass 
near  a  high  Salvadora  bush.  I  let  myself  down  on 
my  right  knee;  my  men  follow  my  example  a  tempo. 
A  number  of  black  birds  fly  up  from  the  dark  mass. 
The  mass  rises;  it  is  a  rhinoceros,  and  near  it  a  second, 
a  young  one,  emerges  from  the  grass.  My  carriers  pass 
me  quickly  the  photographic  apparatus,  always  kept 
in  readiness.  The  snap  -  shot  with  the  camera  is  fol- 
lowed by  a  shot  from  my  rifle.  The  wounded  mother 
rhinoceros  rages  about  in  a  circle,  snorting  and  pufling 
like  an  engine,  looking  for  the  enemy.  A  second  shot 
settles  her,  and  my  blacks  swarm  out  to  surround  and 
capture  the  young  one.  This  one  proves  to  be  rather 
big  and  dangerous.  Without  delay  it  goes  for  my 
blacks,  who  also  without  delay  scatter  in  all  directions. 
The  young  animal  then  turns  and  makes  its  escape, 
raising  its  tail  straight  up. 

I  did  not  care  to  kill  the  animal,  but  I  would  have 

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HUNTING    THE    ELEPHANT 

given  a  great  deal  had  I  had  a  horse.  Horses  are 
unfortunately  not  available  in  the  African  steppe. 
Leaving  three  men  behind  to  secure  the  well -devel- 
oped horns  of  the  old  animal  and  to  bring  them  to 
camp,  I  continued  the  interrupted  hunt  of  the  ele- 
phants. At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  I  became 
convinced  that  it  was  quite  hopeless  to  follow  the 
quickly  moving  animals,  who,  no  doubt,  were  bound 
for  the  nearest  drinking  -  place.  We  therefore  rested. 
My  men  were  discouraged  and  pining  for  the  comforts 
of  the  camp.  I  decided,  however,  to  make  one  more 
attempt  to  reach  the  elephants.  The  blacks,  who  were 
somewhat  rested,  responded  cheerfully,  and  again  we 
tramped  over  the  steppe.  At  last  my  main  guide  and 
I  noticed  in  the  far  distance,  over  a  mile  and  a  half 
away,  on  the  hilly  ground  before  us,  two  dark  masses 
of  elephants.  In  the  clear  atmosphere  of  the  tropics 
the  distant  animals  appeared  remarkably  near  and  dis- 
tinct. 

I  left  most  of  my  party  behind,  and  approached  the 
animals  as  fast  as  I  could,  taking  with  me  but  five  men. . 
The  steppe  was  almost  bare;  here  and  there  only  small 
groves  of  locust  -  trees  relieved  the  monotony  of  the 
landscape.  Yet  we  managed  to  creep  up  to  the  herd 
within  six  hundred  feet,  and  I  succeeded  in  taking  a 
few  snap-shots.  Through  my  field -glass  I  saw  that  the 
herd  was  separated,  according  to  sex,  into  two  parts. 
Three  young  ones  were  with  their  mothers.     They  all 

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WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

stood  there  absolutely  still  except  for  the  flapping  of 
their  long  ears.  It  was  an  impressive  and  at  the  same 
time  an  uncanny  sight. 

Notwithstanding  the  distance,  I  fired  at  the  nearest 
male  elephant,  the  mightiest  bull  of  them  all.  The 
wounded  animal  raised  his  trunk  high  up,  spread  out 
his  ears  like  two  gigantic  fans,  and  made  a  few  steps 
towards  us.  The  whole  herd  now  scattered  to  look  for 
the  hidden  foe.  I  was  kneeling,  while  my  men  lay  flat 
on  their  faces.  I  sent  two  more  bullets  into  the  male 
elephant.  The  whole  herd  then  gathered  around  an  old 
female  elephant,  and  broke  away  in  a  quick  shuffle. 
Since  they  turned  to  the  right,  I  enjoyed  the  grand 
sight  of  twenty-four  elephants  passing  at  a  distance 
of  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  wounded 
male  passed  a  little  nearer  to  me,  and  I  could  not  re- 
frain from  firing  at  him  once  more.  The  whole  herd 
stopped,  took  the  young  ones  into  their  midst,  looked 
around,  and  sniffed  the  air.  They  discovered  us,  and, 
led  by  two  females,  they  came  to  attack  us. 

The  situation  became  very  critical;  for  in  the  long- 
run  the  animals  were  bound  to  overtake  us.  I  fled  as 
fast  as  my  feet  would  carry  me  in  the  wake  of  my  men, 
who  were  running  away  from  the  animals  at  a  right 
angle.  They  knew,  as  I  did,  that  the  elephants'  sense 
of  sight  is  weak,  and  that  our  only  chance  of  escape  lay 
in  changing,  from  time  to  time,  the  direction  of  our 
flight.     We  did  not  dare  look  around,  but  hurried  on 

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HUNTING    THE    ELEPHANT 

in  breathless  haste.  The  thundering,  dull  noise  of  the 
pursuing  elephants  came  nearer  and  nearer.  Then,  sud- 
denly, a  piercing,  trumpet-like  sound  was  heard  above 
the  dull  noise. 

Turning  around,  I  saw  the  wounded  animal  falling 
into  a  sitting  posture  and  the  rest  of  the  herd  in  wild 
flight  away  from  us.  My  men  retraced  their  steps  and 
joined  me,  picking  up  part  of  the  things  which  they  had 
dropped  to  facilitate  their  escape.  A  bullet  just  reached 
the  last  of  the  female  elephants;  I  hoped  to  delay  her 
flight  and  to  capture  her  young  one.  Then  I  turned 
my  attention  to  the  sitting  bull,  who  was  apparently 
mortally  wounded.  Before  he  succumbed  to  the  effect 
of  my  bullets,  I  took  a  few  snap-shots  at  him  with  my 
camera. 

I  sent  for  the  men  whom  I  had  left  behind  when  I 
started,  with  only  five  companions,  on  my  pursuit  of 
the  animals,  told  them  to  skin  the  head  of  the  dead 
elephant,  and  to  loosen  the  tusks,  and  then,  taking 
with  me  six  men  and  the  whole  supply  of  water,  but 
forgetting  the  ropes,    I  followed  again    the    retreating 

herd. 

After  about  two  hours  we  found  the  animals,  sepa- 
rated according  to  sex,  in  two  groups,  standing  under 
some  locust-trees.  My  men,  carrying  my  reserve  rifles 
and  photographic  apparatus,  followed  me  up  to  about 
four  hundred  feet  from  the  herd.  Two  cow  elephants, 
with  their  young,  stood  a  little  aside  from  the  rest,  one 

105 


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HUNTING    THE    ELEPHANT 

of  them  wounded  by  me  previously.  Lying  flat  on  the 
ground,  I  took  good  aim  and  hit  both.  They  flapped 
their  big  ears  and,  accompanied  by  the  two  young  ones, 
fled  to  the  right ;  the  rest  of  the  herd,  with  the  third 
young  animal,  ran  oft'  to  the  left.  The  wounded  cow 
soon  disappeared  from  my  sight  into  a  depression  in  the 
ground.  After  the  herd  had  vanished  in  the  distance, 
we  followed  the  two  cows  and  the  two  young  ones.  One 
cow  was  badly  wounded  and  lagged  behind.  It  took 
twenty-one  shots  to  kill  her,  the  last  and  fatal  one  lodg- 
ing behind  the  ear.  The  leading  cow  fell  shortly  after. 
The  young  elephants,  both  bulls,  about  five  feet  high, 
stood  still  by  the  dead  cow.  We  rushed  up  to  them, 
but  one  showed  fight  and  attacked  my  men  vigorously, 
throwing  one  of  them  to  the  ground  and  attempting  to 
pierce  him  with  his  small  tusks.  I  had  to  kill  him  to 
save  my  man.  Then  I  threw  myself  upon  the  second 
young  bull.  Taking  hold  of  his  ear  with  my  left  hand, 
my  right  hand  resting  on  his  neck,  I  brought  my  full 
weight,  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds,  to  bear  on 
him.  I  cried  to  my  men  to  tie  his  hind  legs.  Alas! 
the  ropes  had  been  forgotten.  Some  of  my  men  hung 
onto  his  tail,  the  rest  tried  to  use  part  of  their  clothing 
as  a  substitute  for  ropes.  Our  efforts  were  futile.  I 
was  very  lucky  not  to  have  lost  my  life  in  the  tussle. 
We  were  completely  played  out,  and  gave  up  the 
struggle,  when  the  young  elephant  tried  to  turn  the 
tables  on  us  by  attacking  us.     My  men  avoided  him 

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WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

cleverly.  I  was  glad  when  he  stopped  his  assault  and 
fled  in  the  direction  the  herd  had  taken;  this  relieved 
me  of  the  necessity  of  shooting  him.  As  we  were  tired 
to  death,  w^e  did  not  go  back  to  our  men,  but  stayed 
where  we  were,  lit  a  fire,  and  prepared  to  spend  the  night 
on  the  open  steppe.  But  tormenting  thirst  prevented 
us  from  falling  asleep.  We  went  back  to  the  nearest 
dead  elephant,  opened  his  stomach,  and  drank  of  the 
nauseating  fluid  we  found.  Then  we  lay  down  once 
more  to  sleep.  About  nine  o'clock  one  of  my  blacks 
alarmed  us  with  the  subdued  cry:  "Tembo  Bwana! 
Tembo!" 

And,  indeed,  not  farther  than  five  hundred  feet  from 
us  the  remaining  twenty-one  elephants  passed  by  in  the 
direction  of  the  mountains  from  which  they  had  come, 
resembling,  in  the  moonhght,  a  herd  of  phantoms. 

The  night  passed  without  further  excitement.  I  had 
taken  my  turn  as  guard  in  the  early  hours.  Towards 
morning  I  was  startled  from  deep  slumber  by  a 
strange  noise.  Looking  about  me,  I  saw  that  the  fire 
had  burned  low,  and  that  all  my  men,  the  guard  in- 
cluded, were  sound  asleep.  It  was  the  snoring  of  the 
guard  which  had  awakened  me. 

We  started  early  in  the  morning  on  our  homeward 
march,  and  reached  our  camp  after  a  tramp  of  ten  hours 
over  the  dry  steppe  in  the  glowing  heat  of  the  tropical 
sun.  I  doubt  whether  we  ever  would  have  survived 
that  day  had  we  not  found  some  water  in  the  bed  of 

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HUNTING    THE    ELEPHANT 

a  periodic  stream.  Words  are  powerless  to  express  our 
strange  and  varied  emotions  in  the  situation  I  have 
just  described.     At  last  we  reached  the  camp. 

The  next  day  I  sent  out  some  of  my  most  trusted 
men  to  bring  in  the  tusks  of  the  two  dead  elephants. 
The  larger  of  the  cows  had  but  one  tusk,  weighing 
twenty-eight  pounds.  My  men  discovered  two  iron 
bullets  lodged  in  the  animal,  one  in  the  outer  coating 
of  the  stomach.  These  bullets  had  been  sent  into  the 
elephant  by  professional  black  hunters. 

I  felt  keenly  disappointed  because  I  had  not  suc- 
ceeded in  capturing  alive  one  of  the  young  elephants. 
The  thought  that  I  had  companions  in  misery  did  not 
console  me  very  much.  No  one  had  yet  succeeded  in 
bringing  a  live  elephant  from  East  Africa  to  Europe, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  Uganda  railroad  has  opened 
the  way  into  the  very  heart  of  the  countries  around  the 

Upper  Nile. 

Up  to  the  present  day  one  young  elephant  only  has 
been  brought  from  German  Africa  to  the  fatherland. 
It  was  captured  in  West  Africa,  in  Kamerun,  by  native, 
hunters  and  sent  to  Germany  by  Mr.  Dominis,  a  lieu- 
tenant of  the  colonial  troops. 

If  only  I  had  had  the  good-luck  to  take  a  picture  of 
the  twenty-five  elephants!  I  would  have  given— I  still 
would  be  willing  to  give— one  of  my  fingers  in  exchange 
for  a  lucky  snap-shot. 

In  December,  1900,  I  had  a  similar  experience.     For 

109 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

eight  days  I  had  searched  the  steppe  for  elephants,  when 
at  last  I  fell  in  with  a  small  herd  of  seven  animals.  I 
killed  one  of  the  cows  and  captured  her  young  one. 
While  I  threw  myself  in  its  way,  my  Wandorobbos  fast- 
ened a  leather  strap  to  one  of  its  hind  legs.  The  animal 
was  successfully  brought  to  the  camp,  but  died  after  a 
few  days,  because  we  had  no  milk  with  which  to  feed  it. 
The  young  bull  and  I  had  become  such  fast  friends  that 
he  used  to  caress  my  beard  and  face  with  his  trunk. 

In  November,  1903,  I  had  another  adventure  with  ele- 
phants. It  was  an  unexpected  and  unsought-for  sur- 
prise. As  usual  I  headed  my  caravan,  which  was  march- 
ing from  one  mountain  to  another  in  search  of  the 
nearest  drinking-place.  On  the  march  I  killed  two 
antelopes.  While  my  men  were  busy  with  the  animals, 
I  proceeded  a  few  hundred  steps,  accompanied  by  a 
single  rifle-carrier,  and  sat  down  on  a  rock.  My  thoughts 
turned  towards  home,  and  I  was  humming  one  of  our 
beautiful  folk-songs,  when  I  was  suddenly  aroused  by 
a  noise  behind  me.  I  looked  around  and  saw,  only  about 
ninety  feet  away,  a  big  male  elejjhant  coming  towards 
us.  I  grasped  my  rifle,  but  remembered  that  it  was 
loaded  with  a  lead-pointed  cartridge,  which  was  utterly 
ineffective  against  an  elephant.  Resides,  it  was  too 
late  to  shoot.  No  doubt  we  would  have  been  trampled 
to  death  by  the  animal  had  it  not  been  as  much  scared 
by  seeing  us  as  we  were  by  seeing  him.  The  ele- 
phant uttered  a  piercing  sound,   flapped  his  big  ears, 

no 


HUNTING    THE    ELEPHANT 

and  turned  to  the  left.  I  quickly  loaded  my  rifle  with 
a  more  appropriate  cartridge  and  followed  him  in  his 
hasty  retreat,  i  fired  two  shots  and  wounded  him  so 
that  he  slackened  his  pace.  He  halted  under  some 
locust-trees,  made  an  attempt  to  attack  me,  but  was 
killed  by  two  more  shots.  This  bull  had  apparently 
strayed  away  from  a  small  herd  which  had — an  unusual 
act  for  the  time  of  the  year — come  down  from  the  higher 
plateau  to  the  dry  steppe,  part  of  which,  however,  was 
covered  by  green  grass  in  consequence  of  a  recent  rain- 
storm. 

At  another  time  I  had,  for  weeks,  been  looking  for 
elephants  on  the  northeast  side  of  the  Ngaptuk  moun- 
tain. I  had  purposely  refrained  from  shooting  game 
or  liirds  so  as  not  to  'scare  away  the  elephants,  which 
mieht  be  concealed  in  some  of  the  numerous  ravines 
and  glens  of  the  mountains.  One  day  I  could  not  re- 
sist the  teniptation  and  shot  a  rare  thrush.  The  report 
of  my  gun  echoed  and  re-echoed  from  mountain  and 
dale,  and  was  answered  in  the  deep  valley  below  me 
by  the  warning  trumpet  sound  of  an  elephant.  The 
next  day  I  went  in  the  direction  from  which  the  sound 
had  come,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  locate  the  herd. 
The  wind  was  favoral:)le  and  I  managed  to  approach 
within  a  few  paces  of  two  l:)ulls.  They  stood  perfectly 
still,  and  I  waited  almost  an  hour  for  the  animals  to 
change  their  position.  I  killed  one,  hitting  him  be- 
tween ear  and  eye,  and  the  other  by  two  shots  aimed 

III 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

at  his  heart.  Patience  is  as  great  a  virtue  in  hunting 
elephants  as  quick  decision.  There  are  only  two  shots 
which  unfailingly  tell,  one  aimed  at  the  spot  between 
the  eye  and  the  ear,  the  other  aimed  at  the  heart,  both 
from  the  side.  From  the  front  the  brain  can  only  be 
reached  by  a  shot  which  strikes  the  part  of  the  head 
where  the  trunk  begins.  A  shot  aimed  higher  will  not 
hurt  the  animal,  but  may  have  fatal  results  for  the 
hunter.  Of  course  there  are  other  shots  which  may 
tell,  if  they  are  fired  from  a  large -caliber  rifle  and  at 
close  range;  for  instance,  if  one  hits  a  bone  in  the  leg. 

Luck  is  as  essential  a  factor  as  skill  in  shooting  the 
pachyderm  giants.  A  shot  may  hit  a  vital  spot  and 
not  kill  the  animal  instantly,  but  give  time  for  him  to 
take  revenge  on  his  foe.  I  had  many  a  narrow  escape, 
and  many  hunters  have  paid  the  death  penalty  for 
their  daring  in  hunting  the  "tembo."  There  is  no 
counting  on  what  the  African  elephant  may  do.  The 
hunter  has  to  be  constantly  on  his  guard,  and  must  be 
quick-witted. 

I  shall  never  forget  an  experience  I  once  had  with 
two  male  elephants.  For  many  days  I  had  observed, 
from  the  top  of  a  hill,  a  herd  of  elephants.  I  proposed 
to  take  a  number  of  good  pictures  of  the  animals,  and 
was  waiting  for  the  clouds  to  scatter.  At  last  the 
clouds  broke  and  the  sun  came  out.  I  took  some  ex- 
cellent distance-pictures,  and  felt  at  liberty  to  gratify 
my  suppressed  desire  to  have  a  shot  at  the  two  enor- 

112 


HUNTING   THE   ELEPHANT 

mous  male  elephants  which  had  attracted  my  atten- 
tion. I  left  the  hill,  accompanied  by  a  few  of  my  men, 
to  make  my  way  through  the  thick  entanglement  of 
high  grass  and  plants,  in  the  direction  of  the  distant 
herd  in  the  lower  swampy  ground.     We  followed  for 


BULL    ELEPHANTS    AND    BULL    GIRAFFE DISTANCE    FOUR    HUNDRED 

METRES 


three-quarters  of  an  hour  a  narrow  path  trodden  by 
rhinoceroses,  and  then  we  had  to  cross  a  number  of 
ravines.  When  we  reached  the  place  where  I  had  last 
seen  the  animals,  they  had  left  and  were  moving  up- 
hill through  a  forest  of  high  bushes  and  trees.  The 
two  bulls  made  up  the  rear.  The  animals  soon  disap- 
8  113 


"WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

peared  from  our  sight,  but  we  followed  their  tracks 
closely.  Suddenly  one  of  the  bulls  stood  not  far  from 
us  in  the  shade  of  some  fallen  trees.  Although  he  was 
not  farther  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  away,  the 
high  grass  and  the  entangling  plants  prevented  me 
from  shooting  at  him.  The  animal,  no  doubt,  scented 
us ;  it  soon  disappeared  to  our  left.  Excited,  and  anx- 
ious not  to  lose  this  good  chance,  I  followed  him  with 
two  rifle  -  bearers.  A  deep  ravine  intervened.  We 
traversed  it  as  quickly  as  possible.  There,  close  to 
us,  we  heard  a  rustling  noise.  "Tembo,  Rwana!"  (sir, 
the  elephant),  whispered  one  of  my  men.  "Hapana! 
Nyama  mdogo  "  (no,  only  small  game),  I  replied.  The 
same  moment  the  bushes  parted,  the  slender  trunks  of 
the  trees  bent  right  and  left,  we  were  pressed  to  the 
ground  by  the  bent  and  broken  bushes  and  trees,  and 
past  us,  almost  touching  us  with  his  heavy  foot,  rushed 
the  animal  without,  fortunately,  taking  any  further 
notice  of  us.  Such  moments  the  hunter  never  forgets. 
No  one  living  peacefully  within  the  pale  of  civilization 
has  the  faintest  conception,  not  even  by  the  greatest 
stretch  of  imagination,  how  helpless  a  man  feels  in  the 
heart  of  the  grand  and  terrifying  wilderness  and  at  the 
mercy  of  an  animal  like  the  elephant.  Often,  when 
looking  at  an  elephant  in  our  zoological  gardens,  a 
cold  chill  creeps  over  me  as  I  recall  those  moments  of 
awful  suspense,  my  unsophisticated  neighbors  mean- 
while cracking  jokes  at  the  expense  of  the  captive  giant 

114 


HUNTING    THE    ELEPHANT 

from  whom  they  would  run  away  in  terror  should  they 
meet  him  in  the  wilderness. 

Two   days   later  the   two   bulls  were  back  in   their 
favorite  stand,  where  they  spent  the  night.     At  sunrise 
they  left  the  low  land  and  moved  again  up  towards 
the   mountain   forests.     The   wind   being   favorable,    I 
determined  to  try  my  luck  again.     With  some  natives 
I  took  my  European  taxidermist,  Mr.  Orgeich,  with  me, 
hoping  to  kill  at  least  one  of  the  bulls  and  to  prepare 
the  whole   skin   on   the   spot.     We   followed,    hot   and 
dripping  with  perspiration,  the  tracks  of  the  animals 
through    the    dense    thicket.      After   an    hour   we    saw 
them  at  the  swampy  bottom  of  a  deep  ravine.     The 
wind  shifted  and  they  became  aware  of  our  presence. 
We  saw  them  disappear  in  the  high  plants  on  the  op- 
posite edge  of  the  ravine.     Should  I  allow  the  animals 
to   escape   with   their   precious   load   of   ivory?     Their 
tusks   must    have    weighed    about    two    hundred    and 
hfty   pounds   each.     We   crossed   the    swampy   ravine, 
but  the  bulls  had  too  great  a  start.     Yet  we  plunged 
into  the  thick  undergrowth  of  the  forest  and  struggled - 
along  for  hours,  but  in  vain.     I  finally  gave  up  the  pur- 
suit, tired  to  death  and  faint  at  heart  with  disappoint- 
ment.    I  presented  a  strange  spectacle;  my  hands  and 
face  were  torn  by  the  bushes  and  my  skin  and  scanty 
clothing  were  covered  with  a  layer  of  mud.     I  could 
not  help  smiling  at  myself  and  thinking  of  the  time, 
many  years  ago,  when  I  looked  equally  dirty,  but  red 

115 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

instead  of  black,  when,  riding  in  a  steeple-chase  on  the 
soft  turf  in  Westphalia,  I  was  thrown  only  a  few  yards 
from  the  line. 

On  one  of  the  many  disappointing  hunting  expedi- 
tions I  suffered,  in  addition,  the  loss  of  one  of  my  best 
blacks.  During  the  dry  season  I  was  following  a  herd 
of  elephants  over  an  arid  part  of  the  steppe  accompa- 
nied by  a  small  number  of  carriers.  They  carried  only 
eight  pounds  each  —  ropes,  axes,  etc.  —  but  the  heat 
proved  too  great  and  our  water  supply  soon  gave  out. 
At  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  I  decided  to  return  to 
the  camp.  Two  of  my  men  were  so  completely  worn 
out,  and  so  apathetic,  that  I  had  to  drive  them  before 
me.  One  of  them  refused  to  go  on,  and  we  had  to 
leave  him  behind  on  the  steppe.  Late  at  night  we 
reached  our  camp,  which  "was  pitched  near  a  drinking- 
place.  The  next  morning  some  of  my  nien  set  out  to 
assist  the  unfortunate  native  whom  w^e  had  been  forced 
to  leave  to  his  fate;  and  his  fate  had  been  terrible, 
indeed.  He  had  dropped  on  a  path  frequented  by 
rhinoceroses,  and  had  l^een  killed  by  these  animals. 
Lions  passing  the  spot  had  almost  completely  devoured 
him. 

Hunting  the  African  elephant  is  very  dangerous, 
especially  when  done  in  a  sportsman-like  manner.  It 
is  comparatively  safe  to  hunt  it  with  the  assistance 
of  experienced  Askaris.  Some  of  these  "assisted" 
hunters  have  the  courage  to  have  their  picture  taken 

ii6 


HUNTING    THE    ELEPHANT 

stirrounflcd  by  their  trophies,  among  them  young  ele- 
phants and  females. 

The  professional  black  hunters  are  very  superstitious. 
They  believe  that  they  will,  sooner  or  later,  meet  an 
untimely  end  if  they  continue  hunting  after  they  have 
killed  fifteen  elephants.  Many  of  them,  therefore,  pre- 
fer concocting  "elephant-dana,"  a  medicine  that  acts 
like  a  chann,  and  having  others  risk  their  lives  in  their 
service.     No  doubt  they  act  very  wisely. 


XII 

THE    RHINOCEROS 

NO  doubt  elephants  were  as  numerous  in  the  Masai- 
Nyika,  before  they  were  hunted  for  their  ivory, 
as  rhinoceroses  are  still.  These  were  comparatively  lit- 
tle hunted,  because  the  value  of  their  horns  and  the 
danger  and  difficulties  of  hunting  the  animals  were 
rather  disproportionate.  Now  that  elephants  have 
grown  scarce,  the  turn  of  the  rhinoceros  seems  to  have 
come.  Their  numbers  have  been  wofully  diminished 
within  the  last  few  years.  During  the  time  which  I 
have  spent  in  East  Africa,  I  have  seen  about  six  hun- 
dred rhinoceroses,  and  have  noticed  the  tracks  of 
thousands.  Away  from  the  roads  taken  by  caravans 
one  may  meet  daily  with  a  number  of  these  animals ;  in 
the  mountainous  parts  of  the  great  Masai  steppe,  six 
thousand  feet  high  or  more,  they  are  to  be  found  in 
multitudes  during  the  dry  season.  It  is  interesting  to 
read  about  the  good  "bags"  which  some  travellers  and 
explorers  managed  to  make. 

Count  Telekis  and  Mr.   von   Hoehnel  killed   ninety- 
nine    rhinoceroses    on    their    expedition    which   led    to 

ii8 


MALE    AND    FEMALE    RHINOCEROSES    BATHING 
119 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

the  discovery  of  Rudolf  Lake  and  Stephanie  Lake. 
The  flesh  of  the  animals  furnished  excellent  food  for 
the  natives  of  the  caravan.  Dr.  Kolb  is  said  to  have 
killed  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  rhinoceroses,  until 
he,  in  his  turn,  was  killed  by  a  wounded  "pharu."  His 
companion,  Mr.  von  Bartineller,  shot  over  one  hundred 
and  forty  "pharus."  The  first  commandant  of  the 
German  fort  Moschi,  near  the  Kilimanjaro,  Mr.  von 
Eltz,  has  over  sixty  rhinoceroses  to  his  credit.  English 
hunters  have  been  equally  successful.  These  numbers 
prove  not  only  the  fact  that  these  animals  are  still  very 
abundant  in  these  parts,  but  they  also  show  that  the 
rhinoceros  is  hunted  more  extensively  now  than  for- 
merly and  that  he,  too,  is  destined  to  disappear  unless 
preserved  in  some  systematic  manner  by  the  concerted 
action  of  the  colonial  governments. 

Hunting  the  rhinoceros — by  one  hunter  alone  and  in 
a  sportsman-like  manner — is  a  most  dangerous  under- 
taking. It  is  an  idle  question  to  ask  which  animal  is 
most  difficult  to  hunt — lion,  leopard,  buffalo,  elephant, 
or  rhinoceros?  It  all  depends  on  circumstances,  on 
time  and  place.  There  is  no  doubt  that  you  take  your 
life  .in  your  hand  every  time  you  hunt  a  rhinoceros.  I 
have  often  read  of  hunters  simply  jumping  aside  coolly 
when  attacked  by  an  animal,  and  then  laying  it  low 
with  a  well-aimed  shot.  My  own  experience  has  taught 
me  that  it  is  foolish  to  talk  this  way.  If  a  rhinoceros 
actually  does  charge  its  enemy,  it   is  the  most  deter- 


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121 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

mined  of  animals,  and  will  not  rest  until  it  has  impaled 
its  foe.  It  often  happens  that  a  rhinoceros  rushes  tow- 
ards a  hunter  merely  to  escape,  not  noticing  the  enemy 
at  all,  for  the  eyesight  of  the  animal  is  very  poor. 
When  the  animal  really  attacks,  then  the  hunter  is 
doomed,  unless  he  succeeds  in  killing  it  or  in  climbing- 
a  tree  or  an  ant-hill  or  a  big  rock. 

The  only  true  way,  worthy  of  a  sportsman,  to  hunt 
the  rhinoceros  is  to  do  so  "unassisted."     Reckless  kill- 
ing should  under  no  condition  be  indulged  in.     It  often 
happens  that  a  rhinoceros  charges  and  reaches  its  pur- 
suer.    I  once  took  c.are,  for  a  few  days,  of  a  Sudanese 
Askari  who  had  been  run  through  by  the  horn  of  a 
rhinoceros,    and   had  been  repeatedly  tossed   high   up 
in  the  air  by  the  infuriated,  wounded  animal.     He  had 
been  taken    to  my  camp  by  an  English    government 
physician,  to  whose  caravan  he  belonged.     The  wound 
was  horrible  to  look  at,  and  the  condition  of  the  pa- 
tient appeared  perfectly  hopeless.    Yet  he  lived  through 
the  night.     The  next  day,   towards  evening,   his  pain 
became   excruciating,    and   his   moaning  and   groaning 
were  heart-rending.     He  begged  to  be  reheved,  and  I 
gave  him  all  the  opium  I  had,  almost  wishing  that  it 
might  prove  an  overdose.     But  the  black  fellow  tena- 
ciously clung  to  life.     After  twenty-four  hours  he  was 
still  alive.     To  counteract  the  effects  of  the  opium,   I 
made  him  swallow  a  bottle  of  salad-oil.     The  day  after 
he  was  transported  to  the  nearest  English  station.     The 


122 


THE   RHINOCEROS 

last  I   heard  of  him  was  that  he  had  entirely  recov- 
ered. 

The  victim  is  not  always  so  fortunate.  The  rhi- 
noceros, after  having  tossed  him  up  in  the  air  and  left 
him  lying  on  the  ground,  often  returns  to  renew  the 
attack.  I  had  many  narrow  escapes,  and  often  came 
within  an  inch  of  losing  my  Hfe,  yet  always  got  off  safely, 
although  sometimes  with  a  bad  scare.  My  first  meet- 
ing with  the  "e'munj"  of  the  Masai  occurred  towards 
evening  on  the  steppe.  A  patch  of  thorn-bushes  had 
been  set  on  fire  during  the  day,  and  the  ground  was  black 
with  their  ashes.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  impression 
made  upon  me  by  the  dark  form  of  the  bulky  animal 
standing  on  the  black  ground  in  the  light  of  the  setting 
sun.  With  head  erect  —  for  it  had  scented  our  ap- 
proach— it  stood  there  as  if  planted  in  the  earth.  I 
was  only  partially  covered  by  a  half -burned  bush,  and 
my  hand  was  far  from  steady  when  I  fired  my  large- 
caliber  rifle  at  the  rhinoceros,  which  was  only  three 
hundred  feet  away.  The  "pharu"  answered  the  shot 
by  a  quick  charge.  I  heard  the  grunting  and  snorting, 
of  the  animal  close  in  front  of  me.  Mechanically,  I  fired 
a  second  shot,  and  the  large  beast  turned,  fortunately 
for  me,  and  ran  away,  pufiing  and  panting,  to  the  left. 
I  was  completely  nonplussed.  That  the  clumsy  and  slow 
animal  of  our  zoological  gardens  could  develop  such  ex- 
traordinary agility  and  speed  was  a  revelation  to  me ;  ev- 
erything was  so  different  from  what  I  had  expected  it  to  be. 

123 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

My  second  encounter  still  further  enlightened  me  as 
to  the  nature  of  this  massive  and,  except  the  elephant, 
most  powerful  of  the  terrestrial  mammals.  Our  cara- 
van was  progressing  slowly,  and  I  was  riding  ahead  on 
an  ass — one  of  the  few  the  tsetse-fly  had  not  yet  killed — 
over  the  steppe,  armed  with  a  shotgun.  Seeing  a  flock 
of  guinea-hens  alighting  in  the  distance,  I  dismounted 
and  worked  my  way  through  the  high  grass  in  the 
direction  of  the  birds,  when  an  uncouth,  bulky  animal 
suddenly  rose  before  me  out  of  the  grass.  I  had  enough 
presence  of  mind  left  to  throw  myself  fiat  on  the  ground. 
The  animal  came  on  in  a  rush,  passed  me  at  a  foot's 
length,  broke  through  our  caravan,  and  disappeared 
from  sight  wrapped  in  a  thick  cloud  of  dust  trailing  be- 
hind it.  I  now  fully  realized  that  I  had  had  what  the 
Enghsh  call  "a  narrow  escape,"  and  made  up  my  mind 
to  be  more  cautious  in  future  regarding  this  inscrutable 
animal,  which  is  apparently  subject  to  sudden  panics, 
in  which  it  is  as  likely  to  rush  headlong  towards  the 
hunter  as  away  from  him. 

On  the  same  day  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  four 
rhinoceroses,  among  them  a  female  with  a  young  one. 
Shortly  afterwards  we  crossed  a  well-trodden  rhinoceros 
path  which  led  to  a  drinking-place  among  rocks,  and  I 
determined  to  lie  in  wait  for  the  animals.  The  rhinoc- 
eros is  nocturnal  in  its  habits,  eating  and  drinking  dur- 
ing the  night  and  spending  the  day  in  sleep. 

On  the  high  plateaus  of  the  steppe  the  nights  are 

124 


THE    RHINOCEROS 

apt  to  become  bitterly  cold.  I  set  out  accompanied  by 
a  few  men  carrying  woollen  blankets,  lanterns,  etc.,  to 
watch  for  prey  on  the  edge  of  a  ravine.  I  had  forgot- 
ten to  take  into  account  the  short  duration  of  the  twi- 
light in  the  tropics.  The  night  surprised  us  before  we 
had  reached  the  ravine,  and  the  moon  would  not  rise 
before  nine  o'clock.  I  thought  it  best  to  stay  where 
we  were.  The  ground  was  strewn  with  rocks  and  cov- 
ered with  thorny  bushes  and  high  grass.  I  noticed  a 
few  locust-trees  by  their  whitish  bark.  While  we  were 
waiting  for  the  moon  to  rise  we  heard,  suddenly,  a  sound 
like  a  short  grunt.  My  men  dropped  everything  and 
ran  for  the  trees.  Only  my  rifle  -  carrier  tarried  a  mo- 
ment, whispering  to  me,  "  Pharu  Bwana!"  and  then 
he,  too,  cHmbed  the  nearest  tree.  I  must  admit  that 
my  hair  stood  on  end  when  I  distinguished  in  the  light 
of  the  rising  moon  the  massive  form  of  a  rhinoceros 
close  in  front  of  me.  The  situation  was  anything  but  in- 
viting, every  step  checked  by  huge  stones,  thorny  bush- 
es, and  high  grass,  and  not  far  away  the  steep  ravine. 
My  eight  carriers  were  perched  on  the  trees  out  of  the 
animal's  reach,  and  of  no  assistance  to  me.  I  had  a 
large-caliber,  double-barrelled  rifle  with  me,  such  as  is 
used  in  hunting  the  elephant.  I  took  aim  as  well  as  I 
could  and  pulled  the  right  trigger.  The  rebound  of 
the  rifle  forced  me  back  a  step  and  made  me  sink  on 
my  knees.  With  my  finger  on  the  left  trigger  I  awaited 
the  rush  of  the  animal.     But,  snorting  and  stumbling,  it 

125 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

disappeared  into  the  ravine.  I  did  not  dare  move  until 
he  was  out  of  hearing  distance.  Then  we  started  on 
our  way  back  towards  the  camp,  my  men  singing  to 
allay  their  fear  and  to  scare  away  any  animal  that  might 
be  concealed.  The  animal  which  I  had  wounded,  a 
strong  bull,  was  found  dead  in  the  ravine  next  day. 

As  a  rule  the  rhinoceros  does  not  attack  a  man,  but 
tries  to  escape,  although  the  animal  has  been  known 
to  charge  without  any  provocation.  It  is,  however,  at 
all  times  advisable  not  to  take  any  chances  and  to  be 
prepared  for  the  worst. 

I  had  many  opportunities  of  observing  the  rhinoceros 
and  its  habits,  particularly  on  the  high  plateaus  of  the 
watershed  between  the  Masai  district  and  the  Victoria- 
Nyanza — solitary  animals  as  well  as  parties  of  three  or 
more,  both  in  the  primeval  mountain  forests  and  on  the 
open  plains.  In  time  I  had  become  so  well  acquainted 
with  the  habits  of  the  rhinoceros  that  the  danger  of 
hunting  it  became  greatly  diminished. 

I  know  no  better  way  to  give  the  reader  a  faithful 
picture  of  the  ways  and  habits  of  the  rhinoceros  than 
by  relating  to  him  a  few  of  my  many  experiences  and 
adventures  with  this  big  animal. 

One  day  I  was  hunting  game  in  English  East  Africa 

not  far  from  Kibwezi.     I  had  killed  a  Grant  gazelle  buck 

with  one  extraordinarily  large  horn,  when  I  saw,  about 

seven  hundred  feet  to  my  left,  a  strangely  shaped,  dark 

object.     It  appeared  to  be  the  uprooted  trunk  of  a  dead 

126 


THE    RHINOCEROS 

tree.  When  I  looked  again  it  had  disappeared.  Using 
my  field -glass,  I  realized  that  the  dark  object  was  a  rhi- 
noceros which  I  had  first  seen  in  a  sitting  posture,  and 
which  now  had  stretched  itself  out  on  the  ground.  I 
carefully  stole  up  to  within  fifty  feet  of  the  animal, 
against  the  wind,  and  fired  from  behind  a  small  thorn- 
bush,  aiming  at  the  ear.  The  startled  bull  made  a 
sudden  dash  in  my  direction,  but  turned  about  before 
reaching  me.  Hit  by  a  second  bullet,  he  went  down 
like  a  hare  in  a  cross-fire. 

A  few  years  later  I  wounded  an  unusually  large,  old 
bull.  He  first  fled,  but  came  back  towards  me,  de- 
scribing a  wide  curve — tactics  often  employed  by  these 
animals.  Although  I  hit  him  several  times,  he  col- 
lapsed only  thirty  feet  from  me.  The  bull  had  been 
in  the  company  of  a  cow.  When  I  fired  the  first  shot 
the  animals  butted  their  heads  against  each  other,  the 
bull,  no  doubt,  thinking  that  his  mate  had  hurt  him. 

I  had  another  unexpected  encounter  with  a  rhinoc- 
eros when  I  was  hunting  the  koodoo,  not  far  from  Jipe 
Lake.  The  anim^al,  which  suddenly  appeared  not  far- 
ther than  twenty-five  paces  from  me,  was  plastered  all 
over  with  mud  and  reddish  dust.  It  had,  no  doubt, 
taken  a  bath  in  a  muddy  pool  and  rolled  around  on 
the  dusty  ground.  A  strange  apparition  in  the  light  of 
the  setting  sun !  I  felt  instinctively  that  the  rhinoceros 
meant  to  charge  me.  It  moved  its  heavy  head  to  and 
fro  three  times  to  scent  my  whereabouts,  and  started 

127 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

on  a  mad  rush  in  my  direction.  In  this  critical  mo- 
ment my  rifle  went  off  accidentally ;  the  bullet,  however, 
hit  the  animal's  head,  though  somewhat  high.  The  rhi- 
noceros almost  touched  me  as  it  passed.  I  ran  under 
cover  into  a  thick  thorn -bush.  The  animal  chased  one 
of  my  men — I  was  accompanied  by  ten  natives — twice 
around  the  gabled  trunk  of  a  big  locust-tree,  and  then 
disappeared  in  the  thorny  thicket.  I  did  not  dare 
fire  another  shot  at  the  animal,  fearing  that  I  might 
wound  one  of  my  men  hiding  in  bushes  and  behind 
trees.  A  fever  which  laid  me  up  for  two  days  prevented 
my  following  up  the  animal. 

It  is  essential  in  hunting  the  rhinoceros  to  observe 
carefully  the  direction  of  the  wind.  This  is  best  done 
by  lighting  a  match  or  dropping  fine  sand  to  the 
ground  or  holding  up  a  wet  finger.  The  animal  depends 
mainly  on  its  keen  scent  to  warn  him  of  the  approach 
of  an  enemy.  The  rhinoceros,  also,  is  almost  invariably 
attended  by  the  so-called  rhinoceros  -  birds  (Bnphaga), 
which  clean  it  from  parasites,  like  ticks,  and  act  as 
guards  to  warn  it  of  danger  by  their  shrill  twitter. 
The  lying  animal  will  rise  at  this  alarm  signal  and 
either  flee  or  lie  down  again  after  a  while.  In  the  latter 
case  the  birds  again  alight  on  their  host  and  again  warn 
him  when  the  hunter  makes  another  attempt  to  ap- 
proach his  prey.  This  is  another  case  of  two  animals 
combining  for  protection,  their  senses  supplementing 
each  other.     Of  all  the  rhinoceroses  which  I  succeeded 

128 


THE    RHINOCEROS 

in  killing  only  one  was  without  "dundos,"  sore  spots 
of  the  size  of  a  quarter  or  even  a  dollar.  The  natives 
believe  that  these  sores  are  caused  by  the  rhinoceros- 
birds.  In  spite  of  the  almost  constant  activity  of  these 
birds,  which  are  frequently  joined  by  ravens,  the  Rhi- 
noceros hicornis  is  never  found  free  from  parasites,  in 
particular,  ticks  of  all  kinds,  some  of  which,  like  the 
dermacentor  Rhinocerotis ,  depend  entirely  on  the  rhi- 
noceros for  their  sustenance. 

I  have  never  seen  more  than  four  "pharus"  form- 
ing a  party,  though  I  did  see  often  as  many  as  eight 
animals  at  the  same  time,  but  not  together. 

The  rhinoceros  has  a  phenomenal  memory  for  places. 
Every  night  during  the  dry  season  they  cover  enormous 
distances  on  their  way  to  the  drinking-places.  They 
have  the  curious  habit  of  always  depositing  their  ex- 
crement at  the  same  place,  scattering  it  with  their 
hind  legs.  These  manure-patches,  no  doubt,  serve  the 
animals  as  guide-posts,  and  also  enable  the  hunter  to 
identify  the  animals  by  the  composition  of  the  excre- 
ment. Their  food  consists  entirely  of  the  leaves,  twigs, 
and  sometimes  the  roots  of  certain  bushes  and  shrubs, 
never  of  grass. 

The  horns  vary  considerably  both  in  shape  and  size. 
The  horns  of  the  cows  grow  much  longer  and  are,  as 
a  rule,  more  compressed  —  often  swordlike  —  than  the 
horns  of  bulls,  which  arc  shorter  and  conical.  The  com- 
mon, also  called  the  black,  rhinoceros  has,  as  a  rule, 
9  129 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

two  horns,  but  there  have  been  found  animals  with  as 
many  as  five.  The  horns  are  often  cast  and  then  re- 
newed, except  in  very  old  animals.  The  biggest  horns 
recorded  bv  Rowland  Ward  measured  fiftv-three  and  a 


THE   SPECIMEN   NOW   IN   THE   COLONIAL   MUSEUM,    BERLIN 


half  inches  and  sixty-two  and  a  half  inches.  The  former 
belonged  to  a  "common,"  or  "black,"  East  African  rhi- 
noceros {Rhinoceros  hicornis),  the  latter  to  a  "white" 
South  African  animal  {Rhinoceros  simus).  I  bought  a 
horn  in  Zanzibar  fifty -four  inches  long.  The  longest 
horn  of  a  rhinoceros  shot  by  me  measured  from  twenty- 
four  to  thirty-four  inches. 

130 


THE    RHINOCEROS 

The  l)lack  rliinoceros,  the  biggest  terrestrial  mammal 
next  to  the  elephant,  formerly  al)un(lant  all  over  the 
eastern  and  south-central  parts  of  the  "  Dark  Continent" 
has  now  become  comparatively  rare  and  restricted. 
P'^ifty  years  ago  the  English  hunter,  Anderson,  killed 
over  sixty  of  these  animals  in  the  valleys  of  the  Orange 
and  Zambesi  rivers  in  the  course  of  a  few  months. 

The  rhinoceros  is  most  dangerous  in  the  bush  thickets 
which  cover  extended  districts  of  the  lower  steppe, 
in  the  thick  growth  of  entangling  plants  which  cover 
large  tracts  of  the  high  plateaus,  and  in  the  clearings 
of  the  big  mountain  forests.  Favorite  haunts  of  the 
horned  animal  are  the  small  mountain  meadows,  often 
six  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  the  brush  and  grass 
of  which  afford  the  animal  splendid  cover.  These 
thickets  are  almost  inaccessible  to  man,  and  nearly 
impenetrable.  They  are  formed  largely  by  jasmine, 
sm.ilax,  pterololium,  Toddalia,  blackberry,  and  other 
shrubs  and  bushes.  The  frequent  rain-showers  in  these 
high  mountain  regions  furnish  the  rhinoceros  with  food 
and  water,  even  during  the  height  of  the  dry  season.- 
They  withdraw  thither  in  large  numbers  when  water 
becomes  scarce  in  the  lower  country.  It  is  exceeding- 
ly hard  to  hunt  the  rhinoceros  in  its  mountain  haunts, 
for  they  easily  scent  or  hear  the  approaching  hunter 
when  he  works  his  way  through  the  crackling  bushes. 
They  will  rise  with  a  great  deal  of  noise  and  stumble 
down  the  mountain   slopes,  or  they  will   sneak  off  as 

131 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

quietly  as  possible,  and  change  their  resting  -  places, 
which  look  like  big  bowls  sunk  into  the  ground.  If  we 
approach  them  with  a  favorable  wind,  "up  wind," 
then  we  may  meet  with  great  surprises  and  encounters, 
which  may  prove  fatal,  espec'ally  if  we  chance  to  sud- 
denly come  upon  several  animals.  Even  the  Wan- 
dorobbos  and  Wakamba  do  not  like  to  hunt  the  rhi- 
noceros in  these  "buenretiros."  I  must  confess  that  I, 
too,  am  not  eager  to  repeat  the  experiences  I  had  in 
that  mountain  wilderness.  The  very  thought  of  many 
narrow  escapes  I  had  makes  my  flesh  creep.  Sports- 
man-like hunting,  which  consists  in  doing  one's  own 
shooting  and  in  sparing  the  females  and  the  young  ones, 
is  out  of  place  there,  because  it  would  be  simply  suicidal. 
Any  hunter  there  is  very  glad  to  be  "assisted"  by  na- 
tives, and  does  not  hesitate  to  shoot  down,  indiscrimi- 
nately, young  and  old  animals,  males  and  females,  in 
mere  self-defence.  Common  shooting,  howe\'cr,  with- 
out some  prearranged  method,  is  as  dangerous  as  hunt- 
ing alone.  The  far-off  mountains  of  East  Africa  w^ill 
furnish  a  fairly  safe  retreat  to  the  rhinoceros  for  many 
years  to  come.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  colonial 
governments  of  England  and  Germany  will  prevent 
the  European  trader,  driven  by  the  "commercial  spirit" 
of  our  age,  from  organizing  hunting  expeditions. 

Hunting  the  rhinoceros  is  dangerous  enough  in  itself, 
and  it  brought  me  many  times  into  "close  touch,"  and 
almost  contact,  with  the  animal;  but  to  try,  in  addition, 

132 


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133 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

to  take  pictures    of   the  animal   in    its   haunts,  in  the 
daytime  and  at  night,  demands  not  only  courage,  but 
also  infinite  patience.     The  animal  is  nocturnal  in  its 
habits,  and  goes  about  in  daytime  only  when  the  sky 
is  clouded.     But  then   it   is   useless  to  try  to  take  a 
picture.     One  must  patiently  wait  until  the  sun  pene- 
trates the  clouds,  if  but  for  a  moment,  and  until  the 
light  strikes  the  animal  at  a  certain  angle.     The  dis- 
tance, also,  must  not  be  too  great.     All  these  condi- 
tions must  be  fulfilled  to  assure  success.     The  photog- 
rapher must  have  a  steady  hand,  or  the  picture  will 
be  spoiled.     In  addition  to  steady  nerves  he  must  have 
"nerve"  to  brave  danger  and  to  meet  sudden  death, 
if  such  be  his  fate.     Personally,  I  do  not  know  of  any 
greater  risk  than  to  photograph  and  to  hunt  the  wild 
beasts  at  the  same  time.     Just  as  difficult  and  hazard- 
ous is  the  taking  of  pictures  at  night-time.     But  when 
all  difficulties  and  obstacles  have  been  conquered,  and 
when  the  development  of  the  plate  reveals  the  success 
of  this  magic  art,  then  one  feels  repaid  for  all  the  hard- 
ships   and    previous    disappointments.     Every    time    I 
showed  my  natives   any  of  the   pictures,   they   shook 
their  heads  in  wonder  and  looked  up  to  me  as  to  a 
magician  who  had  succeeded  in  fixing  on  a  tiny  glass 
plate  the  scene  they  themselves  had  watched.     With 
the  word  " dana  "  (magic),  the  blacks  explain  to  them- 
selves everything  that  passes  their  understanding. 
English  scientists— Mr.  F.  C.  Selous,  Mr.  F.  J.  Jack- 

134 


THE    RHINOCEROS 

son,  and  others — have  characterized  the  double-horned 
rhinoceros  as  irascible,  excitable,  and  highly  whimsical. 
There  is  no  counting  on  what  a  rhinoceros  may  do 
when  approached  or  attacked.  One  of  my  own  ad- 
ventures, which  I  had  in  November,  1903,  may  illus- 
trate this  point.  I  had  spent  the  whole  forenoon  try- 
ing to  get  a  camera-shot  at  a  troop  of  giraffes.  I  could 
not  get  near  enough  to  the  animals,  which  were  unusu- 
ally shy.  Disappointed,  tired,  and  thirsty,  I  was  on 
my  way  back  to  the  camp  when  I  became  aware  of 
two  rhinoceroses  which,  for  some  reason  or  other,  were 
abroad  on  the  steppe  in  broad  daylight,  and  in  spite  of 
the  heat.  I  was  about  four  hours'  walk  from  the  camp, 
and  three  thousand  feet  from  the  animals.  A  slight 
but  unfavorable  breeze  was  blowing,  and  I  walked  in 
a  large  circle  to  approach  the  animals  against  the  wind. 
After  half  an  hour  I  saw  them  lying  under  a  big  bush. 
Accompanied  liy  four  of  my  n^en,  I  managed  to  get 
within  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet  of  the  animals. 
We  took  cover  under  a  moderately  thick  thorn -bush 
erowinCT  on  a  deserted  ant-hill.  There  were,  fortunate- 
ly,  no  rhinoceros-birds  with  the  animals,  and  our  pres- 
ence remained,  therefore,  unheralded.  I  had  taken  sev- 
eral long-distance  pictures  of  the  resting  animals,  when 
they  suddenly  arose,  apparently  without  any  cause. 
The  nearer  animal,  a  cow  rhinoceros,  moved  her  head 
to  and  fro,  scented  us,  and  rushed,  her  head  erect,  ac- 
companied by  the  bull,  towards  us.      I  quickly  handed 

135 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

my  camera  to  the  carrier,  grasped  my  rifle,  and  fired 
six  times  in  quick  succession.  Twice  the  wounded  ani- 
mals stumbled  and  feh,  and  twice  they  rose  again. 
My  last  bullet,  fired  at  a  distance  of  ten  feet,  lodged  in 
the  neck  of  the  cow.  Running  for  dear  life  around  the 
thorn-bush,  I  was  checked  for  a  moment  by  one  of  my 
men,  who  jumped  into  the  bush,  and  found  myself  for 
a  second  l:)ctween  the  bull  and  the  cow.  Though  me- 
chanically running  away  from  the  animals,  I  felt  that 
there  was  no  escape  possible.  And  yet  I  was  saved  as 
by  a  miracle.  My  shots  took  effect  at  the  same  moment 
on  both  animals.  I  was,  perhaps,  sixty  feet  from  the 
thorn-bush,  when  I  heard  my  man  in  the  bush  shriek- 
ing at  the  top  of  his  voice.  Turning  around  I  saw  a 
strange  sight.  My  Masai-El  Morane  was  trying  to  push 
himself  farther  into  the  bush;  the  cow,  literally  touch- 
ing him,  stood  there  tottering  and  drenched  with  blood ; 
behind  her  the  bull  had  dropped,  beating  the  ground 
with  his  mighty  head  in  death  agony.  I  quickly  re- 
loaded and  killed  the  animals.  This  exciting  advent- 
ure and  narrow  escape  haunted  my  dreams  for  many 
a  night,  and  even  now,  when  I  think  of  it,  I  do  so  with 
a  deep  sigh  of  relief. 

As  a  rule,  the  animal  is  rather  shy  at  night-time,  but 
there  is  no  depending  on  his  mood.  One  evening  I  was 
obliged  to  pitch  my  camp,  for  the  night,  in  a  valley 
covered  with  thorn  -  bushes.  At  night  I  was  suddenly 
startled  from  my  sleep  by  the  subdued  cry  of  one  of  my 

136 


> 
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< 

c 

o 
n 
m 

o 

W 

Cfi 

Tl 

w 
r 

O 

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> 

c 


G 

r 


z 

K 

O 

c 

r 


137 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

men,  "  Bwana,  tembo!"  (master,  an  elephant).  Quick- 
ly jumping  up,  I  seized  one  of  my  rifles.  My  men,  too, 
had  become  aroused.  Some  of  them,  horror-stricken, 
pointed  to  a  black  form,  about  one  hundred  feet  from 
my  tent.  There  it  stood,  motionless,  as  if  cut  out  of 
stone.  It  was  a  large  rhinoceros  standing  among  the 
small  tents  of  my  men,  and  wondering,  no  doubt,  what 
kind  of  intruders  had  invaded  its  feeding-ground.  My 
men,  well- trained  and  obedient,  did  not  fire,  but  lined 
up  behind  me.  I  thought  it  best  to  get  the  start  of  the 
still  motionless  animal,  and  fired.  The  rhinoceros  an- 
swered l:)y  a  grunt,  wheeled  about,  and  vanished  into 
the  thicket. 

I  had  an  adventure  with  two  rhinoceroses  at  night 
when  I  first  came  to  Africa,  and  was  not  yet  familiar 
with  their  ways.  The  night  was  not  dark,  but  moonlit, 
and  we  were  not  encamped  on  the  path  of  the  animals. 
It  was  a  cold  night,  too,  and  I  had  covered  myself  with 
several  woollen  blankets.  I  was  awakened  by  the 
guards  who  reported  two  rhinoceroses  to  be  close  by 
camp.  Without  dressing,  I  rushed  in  my  night-gown  to 
the  edge  of  the  camp.  The  animals  had  left  in  the 
mean  time.  I  followed  them  in  my  primitive  costume 
about  six  hundred  feet.  ■  The  beasts  were  at  a  safe  dis- 
tance, and  I  gave  up  the  fruitless  pursuit. 

The  immense  African  steppe  harbors  even  to  -  day 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  rhinoceroses;  but,  no 
doubt,  their  days  are  numbered,  like  those  of  the  el^- 

138 


THE    RHINOCEROS 

phant  and  other  big  game.  With  the  last  "  pharu " 
another  seemingly  unconquerable  race  of  animals  will 
be  exterminated,  its  haunts  being  claimed  by  modem 
progress  and  civilization. 

Millions  and  millions  of  these  colossal  mammals  have 
roamed  over  North  America,  Europe,  and  Africa,  from 
the  Oligocene  time  to  our  day.  The  lone  remnants  of 
a  once  numerous  group  will  —  perhaps  within  a  few 
decades — succumb  to  the  cunning  of  dwarfish  bipeds, 
who  have  learned  to  lay  low  with  small  pieces  of  metal 
the  giant  children  of  wild  nature. 


XIII 

CAPTURING    THE    RHINOCEROS 

MY  friend  Dr.  L.  Heck  wrote  in  1896,  in  his  book 
The  Animal  Kingdom,  the  words,  "The  day  will 
be  a  memorable  one  for  our  zoological  gardens  (in  Ber- 
lin) which  sees  the  acquisition  by  them  of  a  rhinoceros 
from  German  East  Africa."  In  the  same  year  I  went  to 
East  Africa  for  the  first  time.  All  efiiorts  made  so  far 
to  bring  a  young  elephant  or  a  young  rhinoceros  alive 
from  British  or  German  East  Africa  to  Europe  had 
been  unsuccessful.  I  fully  realized  the  enormous  diffi- 
culty of  accomplishing  this  task,  but  on  my  fourth 
journey  to  the  "  Dark  Continent"  I  succeeded  in  bring- 
ing away  a  young  rhinoceros  which,  at  last  reports,  is 
still  disporting  itself  in  the  Berlin  zoological  gardens. 
But  neither  I  nor  any  one  else  has  so  far  been  able 
to  bring  a  young  elephant  alive  from  East  Africa  to 
Europe. 

It  is  exceedingly  difficult  not  only  to  capture  a  young 
rhinoceros,  but  equally  hard,  and  even  harder  to  raise 
it.  For  it  needs  a  milk  diet,  and  milk  is  a  rare  article 
in  a  country  where  the  transportation  and  keeping  of 

140 


X 

c 
o 
w 

c 

ir. 

n 
> 

r 
*? 

c 

z 

z 
o 


141 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

cattle  are  so  precarious;  for  the  most  part  they  fall 
victims  either  to  the  rinderpest  or  the  poisonous  sting 
of  the  tsetse-fly.  Moreover,  this  necessity  of  keeping 
the  captured  young  animals  on  a  milk  diet  during  the 
critical  period  of  their  life  also  accounts  for  the  fact 
that  we  do  not  find  any  East  African  elephants,  gi- 
raffes, eland  antelopes,  oryxes.  Grant  gazelles,  impallahs, 
water-bucks,  wodoos,  and  other  wild  game  in  our  zoolog- 
ical gardens,  not  to  mention  the  smaller  animals  of  the 
East  African  Nyika. 

While  I  was  encamped  on  the  west  side  of  the  Kili- 
manjaro, in  May,  1903,  I  decided  to  make  another  ef- 
fort— many  had  been  in  vain — to  raise  a  young  rhinoc- 
eros for  transportation  to  Europe.  I  acquired,  there- 
fore, a  number  of  cows,  stabled  them  w^ell,  and  then 
went  to  look  for  the  conditio  sine  qua  non — namely,  a 
young  animal  of  still  tender  and  docile  age.  The  rainy 
season  was  just  over,  and  the  high  grass,  together  with 
the  thorn-bushes,  made  the  steppe  almost  impenetrable. 
After  searching  the  neighborhood  of  my  camp  for  many 
days,  I  located,  at  last,  a  female  rhinoceros  with  her 
young  one.  The  mother  had  become  suspicious  and 
was  apparently  scenting  me.  I  did  not  want  to  lose 
a  moment,  and  fired,  although  the  position  of  the  ani- 
mal was  not  favorable.  The  beast  wheeled  about  and 
disappeared  with  the  young  one  into  the  thorny  wilder- 
ness. I  had  wounded  her  but  sHghtly.  Now  began 
an  exciting  and  difficult  pursuit  through  the  impeding 

142 


CAPTURING  THE  RHINOCEROS 

thorn-thicket.  Our  clothes  were  torn  into  shreds,  and 
our  hands  and  feet  and  faces  and  bodies  were  bleeding 
with  many  scratches.  Every  moment  we  might  come 
up  with  the  wounded  and  infuriated  animal.  My 
blacks  clinibed  on  ant-hills  which  afforded  a  good  look- 
out. At  length  one  of  my  men  beckoned  me  violently. 
I  climbed  the  ant-hill  and  saw  another  rhinoceros,  a 
bull;  but  I  did  not  care  for  him  just  then,  and  was 
glad  to  see  him  running  away  from  us.  Again  we  fol- 
lowed the  tracks  of  the  fleeing  cow  and  the  young  one. 
This  was  no  easy  matter,  since  their  tracks  were  crossed 
by  those  of  animals  which  had  passed  there  during  the 
night.  The  thick  growth  of  bushes  and  plants  and 
grasses  only  impeded  our  progress,  but  would  not  pro- 
tect us  against  the  animal  which  would  break  down 
bushes  and  young  trees  like  bits  of  straw. 

Noon  came  on ;  we  were  still  fighting  our  way  through 
the  thicket,  exhausted  and  thirsty.  Hour  after  hour 
passed.  We  were  on  the  point  of  giving  up  all  hope 
of  ever  reaching  the  animals,  when  we  came  to  a  pool 
formed  by  rain-water  in  which  the  rhinoceroses  had 
wallowed  and  refreshed  themselves.  It  was  anything 
but  tempting,  being  muddy  and  malodorous,  but  our 
thirst  conquered  our  fastidiousness.  We  drank  and 
were  thus  enabled  to  continue  our  pursuit  till  nightfall, 
with  the  prospect  before  us  of  being  obliged  to  camp  on 
the  steppe  all  night,  frequented  as  it  was  by  numerous 
wild  beasts. 

143 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

The  traces  left  by  the  old  animal  and  the  young  one 
showed  that  they  were  moving  in  a  big  curve  in  the 
direction  of  our  camp.  Suddenly,  as  we  moved  on,  I 
spied  the  mother  standing  not  far  from  me  under  a 
locust-tree.  In  an  instant  I  took  aim  and  killed  her 
by  a  shot  in  the  ear.  The  young  one  uttered  a  piercing 
cry,  made  a  few  steps  towards  us,  turned  about,  and 
fled.  My  men  and  I  followed  in  hot  pursuit.  As  it 
turned  and  charged  us,  I  caught  it  by  the  neck,  and 
fell  with  it  to  the  ground,  while  my  men  roped  its  legs. 
By  holding  a  piece  of  the  mother's  skin  before  it,  I  in- 
duced it  to  follow  me  for  some  distance.  But  then  it 
stubbornly  refused  to  go  on,  squealing  and  fighting  by 
way  of  protest.  I  left  four  of  my  men  with  it,  returned 
to  the  camp,  and  sent  a  sufficient  number  of  carriers 
to  fetch  it.  Towards  evening  it  was  brought  into  camp 
protesting  at  the  top  of  its  voice  against  its  capture. 

Now  the  difficult  task  of  raising  the  animal  began. 
My  cows  died  one  after  another,  and,  fortunately,  the 
rhinoceros  took  very  kindly  to  a  goat.  I  looked  out  for 
my  precious  captive  with  the  utmost  care,  often  giving 
it  the  bottle  myself.  When  I  proceeded  with  my  cara- 
van on  my  march  into  the  steppe,  I  left  it,  with  its  at- 
tendants, in  charge  of  ex-Sergeant  Merkel,  who  took 
excellent  care  of  all.  When  I  was  ready  to  start  to 
the  coast,  I  found  it  fairly  grown-up  and  quite  gentle, 
and,  in  fact,  able  to  cover  the  whole  distance  on  foot. 
To  avoid  the  great  heat  of  the  day,  we  often  marched  at 

144 


MS 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND   RIFLE 

night,  and  I  seldom  let  the  creature  out  of  my  sight.  I 
intrusted  its  welfare  to  no  one  else,  as  I  could  ill-afford 
to  lose  it  after  seeing  it  safely  nursed  beyond  the  period 
of  lactation. 

We  reached  Naples  without  accident.  There  the 
young  rhinoceros,  the  first  ever  to  be  brought  alive  to 
Europe  from  German  East  Africa,  was  an  object  of 
great  curiosity.  Dr.  Heck  had  come  on  from  Germany 
to  meet  us,  and  had  brought  with  him  a  special  car  for 
the  transportation  of  the  rare  animal.  We  decided, 
however,  to  ship  it  to  Hamburg  by  steamer.  In  spite 
of  a  two  days'  storm  in  the  Mediterranean  it  arrived 
hale  and  sound  in  Hamburg,  where  Mr.  Hagenbeck 
made  everything  very  comfortable  for  it.  It  has  now 
become  completely  reconciled  to  its  new  home  and 
surroundings,  and  still  enjoys  the  company  of  its  wet- 
nurse,  the  African  goat. 

I  was  not  quite  so  lucky  with  the  nursing  of  two 
other  young  rhinoceroses  which  it  was  my  good  fort- 
une to  capture.  Once,  while  on  a  hunting  expedition, 
I  discovered  the  tracks  of  a  rhinoceros  with  its  young 
one  near  a  drinking-place.  I  followed  the  animals  for 
hours  over  stony,  hilly  ground.  With  me  were  Orgeich, 
my  European  taxidermist,  and  fifty  natives.  At  last  I 
managed  to  creep  up  to  within  about  three  hundred 
feet  of  the  beasts.  They  were  standing  under  a  locust- 
tree.  I  fired;  the  bullet  pierced  a  dry  branch  of  the 
tree  and  had  force  enough  left  to  kill  the  older  animal. 

146 


CAPTURING  THE  RHINOCEROS 

The  natives  stole  up  to  me,  and  then  ran  right  and  left 
forming  a  circle  around  the  young  one.  But  it  broke 
through  the  line  and  escaped.  Next  day  I  returned  to 
the  place  with  one  hundred  men.  The  young  animal, 
too,  was  there,  but  again  managed  to  elude  us. 

Another  time  we  followed  the  tracks  of  two  animals 
for  over  seven  hours  before  we  discovered  them  stand- 
ing still  in  the  thorny  steppe  in  the  light  of  the  setting 
sun.  I  killed  the  mother,  but  the  young  one  escaped, 
running  from  us  more  quickly  than  we  could  follow. 
I  should  not  have  thought  of  shooting  the  old  female 
had  it  not  been  for  the  hope  I  had  of  capturing  her 
young.  I  waited  a  long  time  near  the  dead  animal, 
hoping  it  might  return,  but  in  vain.  Again  the  labor  of 
a  whole  day  had  beeri  lost. 

We  returned  the  next  morning  and  found,  not  the 
young  animal  for  which  we  were  looking,  but  hundreds 
of  vultures  and  a  number  of  marabous.  I  ordered  my 
men  to  secure  the  horns  and  to  take  the  most  desirable 
pieces  of  the  flesh  to  the  camp.  The  evening  before  I 
had  noticed  a  few  rare  birds  flying  above  a  ravine.  I 
went  to  look  for  them,  accompanied  by  three  rifle-carriers. 
Suddenly  I  was  startled  by  the  sight  of  the  long-sought 
young  rhinoceros,  which  proved  to  be  a  bull.  I  had  not 
noticed  him  sooner  because  he  had  apparently  been 
bathing  in  the  reddish  mud  of  a  rain-pool,  and  did  not 
stand  out  from  the  reddish  ground  of  the  steppe.  He 
did  not  run  away,  but  lowered  his  head  and  charged 

147 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

US  without  hesitation.  Evading  the  thrust  of  the  small 
horns,  I  threw  my  arms  around  his  neck.  We  wrestled 
for  quite  a  while,  now  he  on  top,  now  I,  until  my  men, 
leaving  the  dead  mother,  ran  to  my  assistance  and  tied 
the  young  fighter's  legs.  We  carried  him  in  triumph 
to  the  camp  on  an  improvised  litter.  For  a  few  days 
he  thrived  well ;  but  a  malignant  ulcer  developed  on  his 
lower  jaw  which  soon  caused  his  death.  This  was  only 
one  of  many  failures.  The  greater  the  efforts,  the  keen- 
er the  disappointment.  Yet  a  hunter  must  not  become 
discouraged,  but  try  and  try  again.  In  East  Africa  he 
is  particularly  handicapped  since  he  cannot  use  horses 
when  pursuing  his  prey,  and  the  unhealthy  climate  or 
the  sting  of  the  tsetse-fly  may  at  any  moment  turn  suc- 
cess into  failure.  Disappointments  such  as  I  have  de- 
scribed are  often  aggravated  by  accidents  and  even  loss 
of  human  life.  In  the  mountainous  region  of  the  Masai- 
Nyika,  about  six  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
saa,  I  discovered  once,  towards  evening,  a  mother 
rhinoceros  with  her  young  one.  The  animals  were  half 
hidden  by  shrubs  and  bushes.  I  killed  the  mother  and 
ordered  my  men  to  pursue  and  surround  the  young. 
Too  late  I  noticed  that  the  young  animal  was  already 
well  developed  and  had  horns  of  considerable  size.  My 
men  were  then  beyond  the  reach  of  my  voice.  My  boy 
Hamis,  the  peaceful  guardian  of  my  riding  asses,  was 
leading  the  rest  in  hot  pursuit.  Suddenly  the  animal 
stopped  short  and  turned  against  his  pursuers.    Hamis, 

148 


CAPTURING  THE  RHINOCEROS 

being  the  nearest,  was  in  imminent  danger  of  being 
transfixed  by  the  horn  of  the  enraged  young  bull.  The 
boy  ran  yelling  in  my  direction;  now  they  were  within 
hailing  distance,  the  animal  closely  pressing  the  man. 
There  was  but  one  chance  in  ten  that  I  might  hit  the 
bull  and  not  the  boy.  But  better  that  he  fall  by  my 
bullet  than  be  run  through  by  that  tusk  and  die  in 
agony.  I  fired  at  the  neck  of  the  bull.  He  fell  in- 
stantly, covering  in  his  fall  the  black  donkey  driver, 
who  had  escaped  badly  scared  and  only  slightly  bruised. 

A  number  of  favorable  circumstances  must  concur 
to  make  the  capture  and  raising  of  a  young  rhinoceros 
possible.  May  other  hunters  also  be  fortunate  enough 
to  bring  some  of  these  rare  animals  alive  to  our  zoologi- 
cal gardens  in  Europe  and  other  continents. 

All  in  all  I  met  about  forty  female  rhinoceroses  with 
their  young  ones.  In  most  cases  I  did  not  attempt  to 
shoot  the  old  and  to  capture  the  young,  because  the 
latter  were  already  too  big,  or  because  I  met  the  animals 
too  far  from  my  camp,  or  because  conditions  made  it 
impossible  to  supply  the  necessary  milk  diet,  even  in 
case  I  should  succeed  in  capturing  the  young  animal. 
Under  ordinary  conditions  the  true  sportsman  will 
never  kill  a  cow  or  a  young  one,  but  show  his  mettle 
and  his  true  sporting  spirit  in  hunting  the  male  rhi- 
noceros. 


XIV 

THE     HIPPOPOTAMUS 

THERE  is  no  doubt  that  the  "river-horse"  will 
have  a  longer  lease  of  life  than  both  the  elephant 
and  the  rhinoceros.  This  is  not  due  to  the  fact  that  it 
is  less  hunted,  but  simply  because  the  endless  marshes 
of  the  Upper  Nile  and  the  vast  swamps  and  waterways 
of  the  Congo  basin  will  preserve  the  animal  indefinitely. 

It  is  long  since  the  hippopotami  occupied  also  the 
northern  part  of  Africa.  The  name  of  "Nile-horse" 
was  justified  when  the  animals  possessed  the  whole 
valley  of  the  river  down  to  the  delta.  To-day  they, 
as  well  as  the  larger  kind  of  crocodiles,  are  not  seen  any 
longer  below  the  cataracts. 

Professor  Fraas,  of  Stuttgart,  has  discovered  bones 
in  the  valley  of  the  Nile  which  prove  the  existence  of 
an  ancestor  to  our  hippopotamus  in  the  Eocene  time. 

These  gigantic  "river-hogs" — for  they  belong  to  the 
swine  family — are  likely  to  die  out  speedily,  not  only 
in  the  valleys  of  the  East-African  rivers,  but  also  in  the 
big  Central  African  lake  region,  although  the  English 
government  has  issued  ordinances  calculated  to  preserve 

150 


THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS 

the  animal  on  the  English  shore  of  the  Victoria- Ny- 
anza. 

Not  so  long  ago  a  kind  of  pygmy  hippopotamus  was 
discovered  in  Liberia,  West  Africa.  Little  is  known 
about  this  small  species.  It  appears  to  be  restricted  to 
the  Guinea  coast,  to  be  less  aquatic  than  its  larger  East 
African  relation,  to  live  in  pairs  but  not  in  herds,  and 
to  wander  and  seek  its  food  in  the  swampy  rivers  of  the 
virgin  woods.  From  the  time  of  Herodotus  to  our  own 
many  travellers  have  told  us  that  the  "  river  -  horse " 
is  malicious,  dangerous,  and  aggressive;  others  that  it 
is  peaceful  and  inoffensive.  The  latter  opinion  is  prob- 
ably the  correct  one ;  but  where  it  is  much  hunted  it  is 
apt  to  merit  the  harsher  opinion. 

Hunting  the  "  river- h»rse  "  is  a  pretty  harmless  affair 
compared  with  hunting  other  big  animals,  such  as  the 
lion,  elephant,  or  rhinoceros,  and  it  is  consequently  much 
indulged  in  by  travellers  and  natives.  It  furnishes  to 
the  latter  large  quantities  of  palatable  flesh. 

The  hippopotami  are  often  found  in  considerable  num- 
bers during  the  dry  season  in  deep  river  -  pools  which 
retain  their  water  or  in  small  lakes.  They  offer  then 
a  great  temptation  to  reckless  nimrods  of  a  certain  kind. 
But  also  a  true  sportsman  may  kill  more  animals  than 
he  really  intends  to,  if  he  is  not  well  acquainted  with 
their  nature  and  habits. 

An  officer  of  the  German  colonial  troops  told  me  him- 
self that  he  had  unwillingly  and  unwittingly  killed  over 

151 


< 
■n 


c 


152 


THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS 

thirty  animals  in  a  short  time,  when  in  the  beginning 
of  his  stay  in  East  Africa  he  chanced  to  come  upon 
a  large  pool  inhabited  by  river  -  horses,  or,  as  they 
should  be  called,  "river-hogs."  He  saw  the  heads  of  a 
few  animals  and  fired  at  them.  They  disappeared,  and, 
as  he  ignorantly  thought,  came  to  the  surface  again. 
He  kept  up  his  firing  as  long  as  his  ammunition  lasted, 
and  was  greatly  astonished  when  he  saw,  a  few  hours 
later,  thirty  dead  bodies  floating  about  on  the  surface. 

He  did  not  know  that  these  animals,  when  mortally 
wounded,  sink  immediately,  often  not  floating  again  for 
two  or  eight  hours .  The  officer  saw  the  error  of  his  ways , 
and,  like  a  true  sportsman  profited  by  his  experience. 
But  the  average  hunter  does  not,  and  this  accounts 
for  the  rapid  extermination  of  these  animals  in  East 
Africa. 

I  saw,  in  1899,  in  the  small  lakes  between  the  Meru- 
berg  and  the  Kilimanjaro— discovered  by  Captain  Mer- 
ker— at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  river-hogs.  When 
I  passed  the  lake  again,  in  1903,  the  number  of  "  vibo- 
ko"^  had  dwindled  down  to  a  dozen  or  so. 

The  river-hog  is  perfectly  at  home  in  the  water.  It 
swims  well,  is  able  to  dive  quickly  and  to  remain  a 
considerable  time— up  to  twelve  minutes— under  water. 
It  need  rise  only  at  intervals  in  order  to  breathe.  It 
may  do  so  by  merely  raising  its  nostrils  above  the  water, 
and  thus  remain  protected,  since  a  telHng  shot  can  be 

>  Plural  of  kiboko,  the  nati\-e  name  for  the  hippopotamus. 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

fired  only  when  the  eyes  and  nostrils,  at  least,  are  ex- 
posed at  the  same  time. 

When  last  I  visited  the  Merker  lakes  I  took  a  few  good 
pictures  of  hippopotami  in  the  water  and  also  killed  a 
very  old  male  animal  by  a  single  shot  in  the  ear.  I  had 
been  given  special  permission  to  do  so,  but  I  found  an- 
other hunter  busy  exterminating  the  small  remnant  of 
river-hogs  in  these  lakes.  He  claimed  to  be  a  Boer — 
De  Wet  he  called  himself — and  he  had  been  allowed  to 
pass  Fort  Moschi  and  travel  into  the  wilderness  un- 
challenged. The  officials  had  taken  his  word  for  it 
that  he  did  not  mean  to  hunt,  but  merely  catch  mara- 
bous for  the  sake  of  their  feathers.  They  even  exempt- 
ed him  from  paying  the  tax  on  killed  marabous,  since  he 
pretended  to  be  able  to  capture  the  birds  alive,  pluck 
their  feathers,  and  then  release  them.  In  fact,  his  meth- 
od consisted  in  killing  the  marabous  which  collected  on 
the  bodies  of  river-hogs  killed  by  the  ingenious  Boer. 
He  was  really  a  professional  hunter  backed  by  some 
Greek  merchants  to  collect  marabou  feathers  and  to 
gain  the  valuable  teeth  and  skins  of  hippopotami.  I 
did  not  hesitate  to  denounce  this  impostor  to  the  offi- 
cer in  charge  of  Moschi  station,  who  had  him  arrested. 
For  seven  years  he  had  been  carrying  on  his  nefarious 
business  in  different  parts  of  Africa.  His  backers,  how- 
ever, paid  the  fines,  and  the  authorities  had  to  let  him 

go- 

The  hippopotamus  was  formerly  hunted  not  only  for 

154 


THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS 

its  hide,  out  of  which  bull- whips  may  be  made,  but  also 
for  the  ivory  of  the  great  canine  teeth.  This  ivory  is 
not  as  much  valued  now  as  it  was  early  in  the  nine- 
teenth century,  when  it  was  in  demand  for  the  making 
of  artificial  teeth.  Would  that  modern  science  could 
also  find  a  substitute  for  the  elephant  ivory,  which  is 
still  used  for  the  manufacture  of  biUiard-balls. 

In  the  year  1896  I  spent  some  time  on  the  shores  and 
near  the  inlets  of  the  Victoria  Lake.  I  found  the  natives 
there  in  perfect  harmony,  and  on  a  peace  footing  with 
the  numerous  river  -  hogs.  It  was  a  strange  sight  to 
observe  the  natives  fishing  from  big  floats  surrounded 
by  these  amphibious  mammals,  while  crocodiles  in  plenty 
w^ere  sunning  themselves  on  the  neighboring  sand-banks. 
I  am  convinced  that  the  disposition  of  the  river-hog 
is  harmless  and  peaceful,  and  that  the  animal  becomes 
malicious  and  aggressive  only  when  molested  and  much 
hunted.  Dr.  R.  Kandt  made  the  same  observations 
regarding  these  animals  in  Central  Africa. 

All  stories  of  travellers  that  the  hippopotami  have  to 
be  kept  away  from  the  camps  at  night  by  firing  at  them, 
so  as  not  to  endanger  the  safety  of  the  camp,  are  either 
base  fabrications  or  exaggerations.  It  is,  of  course, 
very  interesting  reading  to  learn  how  the  traveller  had 
to  protect  himself  against  the  night  attacks  of  these 
monsters;  it  is  thrilling,  but  untrue.  Many  travellers, 
no  doubt,  strictly  instruct  their  guards  to  fire  at  practi- 
cally everything  that  approaches  the  camp,  prompted 

155 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

less  by  any  real  danger  than  by  their  own  fear.  I  myself 
made  it  a  rule,  on  my  travels,  not  to  allow  any  of  my 
blacks  to  fire,  not  even  at  night,  when  on  guard  duty, 
before  they  received  orders  or  permission  to  do  so,  ex- 
cept, of  course,  in  an  emergency.  But  then  I  travelled 
only  as  a  collector  and  observer,  not  as  a  hunter,  and  I 
made  it  a  point  to  study  the  character  and  the  habits 
of  the  beasts  of  the  wilderness,  and  was  willing  to  be 
guided  by  my  knowledge  and  not  by  fear  or  the  desire 
to  kill  all  within  sight. 

I  have  never  been  really  molested  by  the  river-hog, 
even  while  encamped  on  the  very  banks  of  rivers, 
swamps,  or  lakes,  although  many  a  curious  animal  paid 
the  camp  a  visit  at  night.  Once  only  one  of  my  Askaris 
found  it  necessary  to  scare  away  an  animal  by  firing, 
as  it  touched  the  canvas  of  my  tent. 

One  day  I  killed  a  bull  hippopotamus.  My  Wando- 
robbo  men  rushed  without  hesitation  into  the  small 
pool,  although  there  were  tw^o  "makaita"  left  in  it,  and 
secured  the  dead  animal.  They  almost  touched  the 
two  living  ones  who  came  at  intervals  to  the  surface 
to  breathe. 

Remarkable,  also,  is  the  peaceful  association  of  the 
river- hog  and  the  crocodile.  Even  the  young  hippopot- 
ami do  not  run  much  risk  of  being  swallowed  by  the 
big  water- lizards,  because  their  mothers  protect  them 
most  assiduously  against  all  enemies,  including  the  male 
river-hog,  who,  when  in  a  rage,  will  try  to  kill  the  in- 

156 


157 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

fants.     The  mother  supports  her  young  upon  her  neck 
until  it  is  able  to  swim  and  to  take  care  of  itself.     The 
attitude  of  the  crocodiles,  however,  changes  towards  a 
dead  hippopotamus.     The  water-lizards  are  usually  in- 
formed of  the  presence  of  a  dead  river  -  hog  by  the 
"bloody  sweat"  exuding  from  the  pores  of  the  excited 
animal  and  floating  down-stream.     Then  they  will  come 
on  in  great  numbers  and  bite  and  tug  at  the  carcass. 
I  have  been  a  witness  to  such  scenes  at  different  times. 
Once  I  killed  an  old  hippopotamus  in  a  stream.     The 
current  drove  it  against  a  sand-bank  and  washed  it  up 
on  the  sand.     I  sent  the  two  men  who  were  with  me 
to  the  camp  to  call  for  more  men  and  to  get  ropes. 
Shortly  afterwards  I  saw,  first  one,  then  several  heads 
of  crocodiles  appearing  above  the  surface  some  distance 
below  the  sand  -  bank  —  the  water  -  lizards  had  scented 
the  dead  animal.     I  stood  only  a  few  yards  away,  be- 
hind the  trunk  of  a  tree,   and  curiously  watched  the 
strange  scene.     A  head  appeared  above  the  water  close 
to  the  carcass   for  a  second,  disappeared,  and  a  mo- 
ment later  a  crocodile  about  twelve  feet  long  climbed 
up    on   the    dead   river  -  hog.     The    lizard    opened    its 
jaws   and   tried   to  bury  its  teeth   in   the   dead  body. 
Involuntarily,  I  made  myself  as  small  as  possible  be- 
hind the  tree.     It  did  not  last  long  when  about  twenty 
crocodiles  assembled  around  their  prey  and  were  tug- 
ging at  it  with  all  their  might.     The  thick  epidermis 
resisted  their  teeth,  but  they  tore  off  the  ears,  part  of 

158 


THE   HIPPOPOTAMUS 

the  snout,  and  the  tail  of  the  hippopotamus.  I  knew 
they  had  no  chance  to  tear  and  eat  up  the  body  itself 
until  its  decomposition  began.  But  they  were  tugging 
so  hard  at  the  animal — when  they  were  not  fighting  one 
another — that  I  was  afraid  they  might  pull  it  back  into 
the  swiftly  flowing  river  and  I  might  lose  my  booty. 

In  large  rivers  one  should  shoot  the  hippopotamus 
only  when  one  can  be  reasonably  sure  that  the  dead 
body,  floating  down -stream,  will  be  caught  on  sand- 
banks or  shallow  rapids;  otherwise  the  animal  will  be 
lost  to  the  hunter.  I  therefore  fired  from  behind  the 
tree  at  the  rapacious  lizards  and  killed  fifteen,  until, 
after  an  hour,  my  men  arrived. 

The  speed  with  which  the  clumsy  -  looking,  short- 
legged  river- hog  can  move  on  land  is  remarkable.  Twice 
I  had  occasion  to  observe  the  flight  of  hippopotami  on 
land;  once  I  had  a  narrow  escape  from  being  killed  by 
a  river-hog.  I  met  the  animal  on  land  towards  the 
evening.  I  fired,  but  only  wounded  it.  Instead  of  try- 
ing to  escape  into  a  large  lake  in  front  of  it,  it  rushed 
in  my  direction  towards  a  pool  behind  me.  I  managed 
to  fire  a  second  time.  The  animal  turned  away  from 
me  and  after  a  few  paces  fell  to  the  ground  dead.  I 
meant  to  shoot  a  third  time,  but  my  repeating-rifle  re- 
fused fire.     I  was  thus  saved  by  sheer  luck. 

Another  time  a  hippopotamus,  at  which  I  had  shot 
from  the  river-bank,  suddenly  appeared  above  the  water, 
directly  in  front  of  me,  climbed  the  bank,  opened  its 

159 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

Ugly,  fearful  jaws,  but  broke  down  before  it  could  ad- 
vance farther. 

These  beasts,  while  naturally  timid,  are  also  exceed- 
ingly curious.  Captain  Merker  told  me  that  the  ratives 
living  around  the  inland  lakes  allure  the  animals  by  the 
cry,  "Makau!  makau!" 

I  had  often  heard  that  the  hippopotami  are  very 
dangerous  to  canoes  and  boats,  and  was  consequently 
very  nervous  when  I  sailed  some  of  the  African  rivers 
and  lakes  in  my  fragile  folding-boat.  I  shall  never  for- 
get my  sensation  when,  in  navigating  a  stream,  I  sud- 
denly saw  the  heads  of  two  river-hogs  emerge  from 
the  water  only  a  few  feet  away  from  me.  However, 
they  did  not  demonstrate  their  "overthrowing"  ten- 
dencies against  me.  The  only  time  my  little  boat  w^as 
attacked  and  upset  the  aggressors  were  crocodiles. 

I  met  with  a  great  many  river-hogs  in  the  Rufu  River, 
which  is  navigable  only  for  very  small  boats.  I  was  one 
of  the  first  Europeans  to  hunt  in  the  woods  bordering 
on  this  river. 

The  animals  love  to  rest  and  sleep  on  islands  in  the 
rivers  and  lakes,  and  they  frequent  the  same  sleeping- 
places  for  years.  They  are  very  skilful  in  climbing  even 
steep  banks,  and  use  the  same  paths  to  and  from  their 
watery  domiciles.  The  natives — for  instance,  near  the 
rivers  emptying  into  the  Victoria-Nyanza  —  who  are 
very  fond  of  the  flesh  and  fat  of  the  hippopotami,  dig 
pits  and  arrange  for  their  capture  on  and  above  the 

i6o 


THE    HIPPOPOTAMUS 

paths  trodden  through  the  water-side  jungles.  One  of 
their  favorite  methods  is  to  suspend  a  loaded  javelin 
with  a  poisoned  head  from  a  tree-branch,  and  to  drop 
it  on  the  passing  animals.  Those  hit  and  poisoned  will 
die  in  the  water,  where  their  floating  bodies  are  secured 
by  the  negroes. 

The  "el  makaunin"  has  the  strange  habit  of  brush- 
ing its  excrement  high  up  on  the  bushes  by  means  of 
its  short  tail,  which  is  naked  except  for  a  few  bristles 
at  its  extremity.  Such  bushes  are  probably  "guiding- 
posts." 

In  1896  river- hogs  were  still  abundant  in  the  Nsoia 
River  and  the  Athi  River,  in  British  East  Africa.  They 
were  also  found  in  large  numbers  along  the  coast  be- 
tween Dar-es-Salaam  and  Pangani.  I  observed  many 
in  the  surf  of  the  sea  and  on  the  sand  of  the  beach. 
They  frequently  travel  along  the  sea-shore  from  river 
to  river,  and  they  often  go  some  distance  out  into  the 
sea  in  the  estuaries  of  rivers.  The  salt-water  seems  to 
have  the  effect  of  freeing  the  animals  from  certain 
parasites. 

Still  eight  years  ago  a  number  of  river-hogs  could  be 
seen  in  the  harbor  of  Dar-es-Salaam.  They  were  pre- 
served and  protected  by  the  government.  One  of  my 
first  surprises  after  my  first  arrival  in  East  Africa  was 
to  see  one  of  these  animals  suddenly  rise  out  of  the 
water  before  me  wdien  I  was  hunting  wild  pigs.  It  was 
my  introduction  to  the  gigantic  beasts  of  East  Africa. 
II  161 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

To  raise  and  preserve  young  hippopotami  is  much 
more  easy  than  to  bring  up  young  elephants  and  rhi- 
noceroses, yet  there  are  few  specimens  of  East  African 
river-hogs  found  in  Europe.  Grown-up  animals  have 
been  captured,  but  their  transportation  was  never  a 
success,  for  one  reason  or  another.  One  animal  I  know 
of  had  been  caught  and  successfully  caged;  when  the 
cage  was  upset  by  the  beast  itself,  it  was  severely  in- 
jured as  a  result  and  soon  died. 

The  ancients  were  far  ahead  of  us  in  this  respect. 
They  captured  and  transported  to  Rome  and  other 
cities,  for  their  games  in  the  arena,  not  only  hippo- 
potami, but  large  numbers  of  all  the  big  African  beasts. 

The  scent  of  the  river-hog  is  keen  and  its  vigilance 
great,  and,  while  its  big  head  contains  but  a  small  brain, 
the  animal  is  by  no  means  stupid.  I  realized  this  when 
I  tried  to  take  pictures  of  them  at  night  by  means  of 
the  flash-light.  Only  after  repeated  failure  did  I  suc- 
ceed in  my  purpose. 

One  who  has  no  acquaintance  with  the  clumsy  ani- 
mal in  its  native  haunts,  and  has  not  studied  its  ways 
and  habits  in  the  wilderness,  will  hardly  fully  agree  with 
me  when  I  claim  that  the  sense  of  smell  of  the  hippo- 
potamus is  developed  far  beyond  our  experience  and 
understanding,  and  that  while  the  brain  of  the  animal 
may  be  developed  one-sidedly,  it  effectively  uses  it  for 
its  self-protection  and  self-preservation. 

162 


XV 

BUFFALOES  AND  CROCODILES 

IN  the  fall  of  1899  I  encamped  by  the  Pangani  River, 
about  midway  between  its  source  and  its  mouth. 
My  European  taxidermist  and  I  were  busy  preparing 
and  packing  hides  and  skins,  and  I  did  not  leave  the 
camp  for  a  fortnight.  I  had,  however,  sent  out  some 
of  my  men  to  locate,  if  possible,  the  haunt  of  a  buffalo 
herd  which  was  supposed  to  have  its  feeding -grounds 
near  the  river.  They  did  not  find  the  herd,  but  dis- 
covered two  natives,  Waseguha  fishermen,  who  lived 
in  a  small  hut  in  the  woods  near  the  river.  One  of 
them  was  brought  to  the  camp.  He  was  very  indis- 
posed to  give  us  any  information,  but  I  learned,  at  last, 
that  a  big  herd  of  buffaloes  was  hiding  in  the  inac-- 
cessible  swamps  of  the  Pangani  River.  I  broke  up 
camp  at  once  and  moved  down-stream  near  the  Lafitte 
Mountains.  On  the  march,  which  lasted  six  hours,  I 
shot  two  horned  owls  (Bubo  lacteiis).  I  also  noticed  a 
large  herd  of  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hun- 
dred water-bucks.  I  re-encamped  opposite  a  large  isl- 
and, the  lower  end  of  which  touched  the  inaccessible 

16^ 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

swamps  of  the  river.     The  camp  I  connected  with  the 
island  by  a  primitive  bridge  of  tree- trunks  and  bushes. 

The  next  day,  September  3d,  I  reconnoitred  the  isl- 
and. Several  thousand  water-bucks  were  herding  on 
the  island  and  in  the  surrounding  "gambo."  Not  to 
disturb  the  yet  invisible  buffaloes,  I  refrained  from  hunt- 
ing game;  besides,  my  caravan  was  well  provisioned 
with  Indian  rice.  But  I  was  almost  forced  to  make 
use  of  my  rifle  against  my  will  when  I  was  nearly  run 
down  by  two  big  rhinoceroses.  I  had  strolled  away 
about  three  hundred  feet  from  my  men,  and  was  fol- 
lowing the  cry  of  the  honey-guide,  hoping  that  the  lit- 
tle bird  might  bring  me  to  the  nest  of  wild  bees,  for 
the  stored-up  honey  is  a  welcome  delicacy  in  the  wil- 
derness. 

I  soon  found  out  that  the  habits  of  the  buffaloes  were 
nocturnal.  The  grass  on  the  island  was  partly  withered 
from  the  heat;  only  on  the  edge  towards  the  swamps 
was  it  still  green.  Hundreds  of  swallows  (Glareola 
fused)  nested  in  the  luxuriant  swamp  vegetation,  and 
myriads  of  mosquitoes  filled  the  air  at  night-time.  I 
also  observed  that  a  few  baboons  and  long-tailed  mon- 
keys had  made  their  home  on  the  island. 

The  water-bucks  went  to  and  from  the  island,  fording 
the  river  in  shallow  places  without  fear  of  the  crocodiles. 
They,  like  the  buffaloes,  seem  not  to  fear  these  reptiles 
any  more  than  do  the  river  -  hogs,  whose  voices  we 
could  hear  from  the  large  swamps. 

164 


BUFFALOES  AND  CROCODILES 

In  the  water  surrounding  the  island  crocodiles  seemed 
to  be  on  guard  and  ready  to  attack  any  living  creature 
fording  the  river.  I  often  saw  dozens  of  them  lying  on 
sand-banks  and  basking  in  the  sun.  Not  far  from  them, 
on  the  same  sand-banks,  herons,  Nile  geese,  and  other 
swamp  and  water  birds  were  watching  for  prey.  These 
birds  seem  not  to  fear  the  crocodiles,  but  they  are,  never- 
theless, on  their  guard ;  they  avoid  the  deeper  places  of 
the  streams,  where  these  reptiles  might  attack  them  un- 
awares. A  kind  of  "  armed  peace  "  exists  between  these 
birds  and  these  saurians.  In  the  Sudan  a  little  bird 
acts  as  the  guardian  of  crocodiles,  warning  them  of 
approaching  enemies.  The  buffaloes  could  not  have 
chosen  a  more  unhealthy  spot  for  their  haunt. 

In  vain  I  tried  to  find  the  haunts  of  the  buffaloes  in 
the  swamps.  I  followed  the  tunnelled  paths  of  the 
hippopotamus  for  hours,  only  to  return  after  a  fruit- 
less search  to  the  camp,  cut  by  the  sharp  reed-grasses 
and  stung  by  mosquitoes.  Finally  I  became  convinced 
that  the  buffaloes  had  no  regular  paths  at  all,  and  that 
they  could  hardly  be  approached  in  the  swamps,  al-. 
though  I  could  locate  them  in  a  general  way.  Wher- 
ever the  herd  was,  resting  or  moving,  a  number  of  herons 
could  be  seen  circling  in  the  air,  for  they  feed  partly  on 
the  parasites  that  live  on  the  buffaloes.  The  island,  too, 
was  swarming  with  insects  and  teeming  with  vermin. 
Although  the  camping  -  ground  itself  was  fairly  free  of 
them — for  it  had  been  cleared  of  grass  and  shrubs  and 

165 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

bushes — one  could  not  walk  about  the  island  without 
becoming  covered  with  hundreds  of  ticks  of  various 
kinds.  My  thick  -  skinned  blacks  were  comparatively 
immune,  but  I  and  my  European  taxidermist,  Mr.  Or- 
geich,  suffered  greatly.  I  tried  to  pick  the  insects  off 
my  skin  myself,  and  to  remove  them  by  sublimate  ablu- 
tions, but  the  only  way  to  get  rid  of  them  was  to  strip 
and  have  my  blacks  act  like  the  monkey  does  when  he 
relieves  his  fellows  from  vermin.  They  removed  from 
me  daily  fifty  to  one  hundred  of  the  small  blood-suckers. 

So  I  passed  many  "  painful"  days  and  sleepless  nights 
on  the  island,  which  I  named  Heck  Island,  in  honor 
of  my  friend  Dr.  Ludwig  Heck,  but  the  buffaloes  man- 
aged to  keep  out  of  my  sight.  It  was  not  timidity  that 
made  them  so  cautious,  for  the  buffalo  is  strong  and  an 
excellent  fighter,  but  they  were  made  careful  by  experi- 
ence not  to  expose  themselves  to  the  flash  of  the  rifle 
and  the  touch  of  the  poisoned  arrow. 

Still  I  persisted  in  waiting  patiently,  though  many 
of  my  natives  began  to  suffer  from  malaria.  To  keep 
well  myself  I  increased  my  daily  doses  of  quinine. 

As  a  pastime  during  the  evenings  and  nights,  my 
men  and  I  fished  for  crocodiles  with  line  and  hook.  I 
had  connected  the  island  with  the  right  bank,  also,  by 
means  of  trees  cut  down  on  the  island  and  the  bank. 
The  trunks  of  the  enormous  trees  and  their  intertwined 
tops  formed  a  kind  of  river-bar,  above  and  below  which 
gathered  numerous  reptiles.     I  had  some  shark  -  hooks 

i66 


BUFFALOES  AND  CROCODILES 

with  me.  I  baited  them  with  large  pieces  of  meat. 
Whenever  I  had  a  bite  from  an  animal,  I  gave  it  a  long 
line,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  thin,  strong 
rope.  Then  ten  to  twelve  of  my  men  pulled  for  all  they 
were  worth  and  dragged  the  crocodile — often  weighing 
a  thousand  pounds — to  the  bank.  While  the  saurian 
was  beating  the  water  with  its  awful  tail,  I  killed  it 
with  a  shot  aimed  at  a  spot  just  behind  the  head.  The 
dying  animal  emitted  a  sickening  smell  of  musk.  I 
often  caught  six  or  more  crocodiles  in  one  night.  We 
had  to  be  very  careful  to  keep  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
flexible  and  powerful  tail  of  the  animal.  One  of  my 
men  was  particularly  eager  to  catch  the  hated  "mam- 
ba  " — he  had  once  had  a  narrow  escape  from  a  reptile 
and  had  sworn  to  take  revenge  on  the  whole  brood. 

The  stomachs  of  most  of  the  reptiles  contained  bones 
of  mammals  and  fishes,  and  also  pieces  of  quartz,  often 
as  big  as  an  apple,  swallowed  to  aid  digestion.  In  one 
animal  I  found  a  vulture,  which  I  had  killed  and  thrown 
into  the  river — the  crocodile  had  swallowed  the  bird 
whole.  It  is  very  difficult  to  observe  the  intimate  life 
of  the  crocodile,  and  therefore  our  knowledge  of  its  ways  • 
and  habits  is  rather  scanty.  Even  the  young  reptiles 
are  exceedingly  shy  and  cautious.  The  larger  they 
grow  the  more  careful  they  become.  They  always  live 
in  water  deep  enough  ff)r  their  size,  so  that  they  may 
watch  for  their  prey  completely  hidden  themselves. 

I  once  arrived,  after  a  long  march,  at  the  bank  of  a 

167 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

large  river.  The  cattle  I  had  with  me  went  up  to  the 
water's  edge,  but  did  not  drink;  no  doubt  they  scented 
danger.  My  men  threw  large  stones  into  the  water, 
with  a  great  deal  of  noise ;  the  animals  then  drank  their 
fill  of  the  precious  liquid  and  pastured  on  the  fresh  grass 
near  by.  The  stragglers  of  my  caravan  arrived  a  little 
later,  and  with  them  came  a  small  drove  of  cattle.  The 
latter  were  quenching  their  thirst ;  one  of  them,  a  fine, 
black  bull,  advanced  a  few  steps,  his  forelegs  sinking 
deep  into  the  river  mud.  Suddenly  I  saw  the  head  of 
a  crocodile  emerge,  and  a  second  later  the  bull  disap- 
peared under  the  water.  I  hardly  believed  my  eyes. 
Running  to  the  spot,  I  noticed  a  few  bubbles  rising  to 
the  surface,  but  no  sign  of  either  bull  or  crocodile. 
My  men  and  I  ran  along  the  bank,  down-stream,  and 
after  a  while  we  saw,  on  the  opposite,  distant  shore, 
the  body  of  the  bull  surrounded  by  a  number  of  croco- 
diles. In  the  same  way  the  reptile  will  prey  on  human 
beings,  as  I  once  had  occasion  to  observe.  I  was  with 
my  caravan,  on  my  way  back  to  the  coast,  after  a  suc- 
cessful expedition  (i 899-1 900)  into  the  interior,  when 
one  of  my  blacks,  who  had  drunk  too  freely  of  the  sweet 
palm-wine,  fell  from  the  small  bridge  leading  across  the 
Pangani  River  near  Korrogwe.  The  current  carried  him 
off  before  we  could  go  to  his  aid  and  save  him  from  the 
jaws  of  a  crocodile,  which  in  a  moment  had  dragged  him 
down. 

Whenever  we  were  forced  to  ford  a  river — the  water 

168 


r 
> 


2 

O 

o 

K 
O 


m 

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•31 


r 


169 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

often  reaching  to  the  arm-pits — the  natives  prepared 
and  drank  some  "crocodile-dana,"  while  I  fired  at 
random  into  the  stream  to  drive  off  reptiles  that  might 
be  lurking  about  our  path. 

In  the  course  of  my  expeditions  I  have  met  many 
natives  who  had  been  maimed  by  young  crocodiles. 

One  may  easily  be  deceived  as  to  the  number  of 
crocodiles  in  a  river.  They  swim  along  below  the  sur- 
face almost  completely  hidden  from  sight;  only  from 
time  to  time  they  raise  their  nostrils  above  the  water. 
When  they  lie  on  sand-banks  or  on  the  river-shores  or 
on  overhanging  branches  of  trees,  they  disappear  as 
quick  as  lightning  into  the  water  at  the  slightest  sign 
of  danger. 

Young  reptiles  hardly  hatched — by  the  sun — squeal 
and  bite  when  touched ;  old  animals  when  captured 
utter  a  strange,  wild  sound,  something  between  a  snarl 
and  a  roar,  a  sound  which  I  have  also  often  heard  free 
animals  utter  about  the  breeding-time. 

The  shot  which  tells  best  on  a  crocodile  is  the  one 
which  hits  its  head  just  where  the  vertebral  column 
begins ;  it  kills  instantly. 

My  friend  Captain  Merker  once  had  an  amusing  ex- 
perience with  the  eggs  of  crocodiles.  He  had  found  a 
number  of  them  near  the  volcanic  Dschalla  Lake,  and 
had  taken  them  with  him  to  Fort  Moschi.  A  week  after 
he  heard  in  his  room  a  squeaking  sound,  as  of  young 
mice.     He  traced  it  to  a  cigar-box  into  which  he  had 

170 


BUFFALOES  AND  CROCODILES 

put  the  crocodile  eggs,  and  found  that  a  few  small  rep- 
tiles had  cast  off  their  shells. 

Our  knowledge  regarding  the  breeding  of  the  ovipa- 
rous African  crocodiles,  the  care  the  female  takes  of  the 
eggs^which  are  hatched  by  the  heat  of  the  sun — and 
of  their  voung,  is  rather  meagre,  but  naturally  so,  con- 
sidering the  shyness  of  the  animals.  They  are  least  shy 
in  the  great  lakes.  I  found  many  of  them  in  the  bays 
and  inlets  of  the  Victoria  -  Nyanza  living  rather  ami- 
cably with  the  river-hogs  and  the  native  fishermen.  It 
appeared  to  me  like  a  picture  of  paradise  to  see  the 
reed  floats  of  the  natives  moving  about  on  the  waters 
peopled  by  hundreds  of  reptiles,  river-hogs,  and  birds 
of  all  kinds. 

At  last  my  patience  in  trying  to  get  a  good  shot — 
with  camera  and  rifle  —  at  the  much-desired  buft'aloes 
seemed  to  become  crowned  by  success.  My  Wando- 
robbo  men  had  seen  a  herd  of  about  thirty  at  day- 
break, and  tracked  them  to  a  small  swamp  which  they 
had  chosen  as  a  resting-place  for  the  day.  After  two 
hours'  march,  I  arrived  at  the  small  swamp.  One  of 
my  men  climbed  up  a  high  locust  -  tree  and  pointed' 
in  the  direction  of  the  herd,  while  I  tried  to  penetrate 
into  the  reed  thicket.  It  was  a  dangerous  undertaking. 
Up  to  my  knees  I  waded  for  half  an  hour  along  in  the 
muddy  swamj);  every  step  was  impeded  by  the  luxu- 
riant vegetation.  When  I  finally  got  within  shooting 
distance  of  the  spot  pointed  out  by  my  man  on  the  tree 

171 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

— without,  however,  seeing  the  animals — I  reaHzed  that 
I  was  on  a  fool's  errand.  How  could  I  dare  shoot  with- 
out the  slightest  cover  and  protection  and  no  chance  of 
escape  from  the  animals  should  they  turn  on  me  ? 

I  therefore  retraced  my  steps  and  joined  mv  man 
on  the  tree,  but  could  not  make  out  the  herd,  however 
much  I  strained  m}^  eyes. 

I  decided  to  alarm  the  animals  by  a  shot  into  the 
air.  There  ensued  a  great  commotion  far  off  in  the  reed 
thicket,  but  all  I  could  see  even  then  was  an  occasional 
pair  of  horns;  the  animals  receded  still  deeper  into  the 
reed  wilderness,  which  formed  a  natural  preserve  for 
them. 

I  gave  up  all  expectation  of  ever  reaching  the  buf- 
faloes in  the  reedy  swamp ;  one  spark  of  hope  was  left — 
namely,  that  I  might  surprise  the  animals  feeding  near 
the  island  some  night  before  break  of  day.  My  stand 
on  the  thorny  locust-tree,  however,  caused  me  to  make 
the  unsought-for  acquaintance  of  a  particularly  annoy- 
ing kind  of  ants. 

After  two  more  days  of  patient  waiting  we  found 
on  a  \'ery  cloudy  afternoon  that  a  herd  of  about  sixty 
buffaloes  had  left  the  depth  of  the  swamp  and  were 
grazing  almost  on  the  very  edge  of  the  island.  Although 
their  feeding  -  place  could  be  approached  only  with 
great  difficulty,  I  managed  to  steal  up  to  within  three 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  of  the  herd.  My  excitement  was 
intense.     I  knew  that  the  reed-grass  offered  me  no  real 

172 


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173 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

protection,  yet  this  was  my  first  and  probably  only 
chance  to  fire  a  well -aimed  shot  at  the  long -sought 
buffaloes.  I  singled  out  a  bull  feeding  a  few  paces  from 
the  bulk  of  the  herd.  I  fired;  the  bull  threw  up  his 
mighty  head  and  beat  the  air  with  his  tail;  a  second 
shot  and  the  animal  sank  on  his  knees;  a  third  bullet 
and  the  bull  fell  dead  to  the  ground.  The  herd  dis- 
appeared in  the  reed  thickets  of  the  swamp. 

At  last  my  patience  had  been  rewarded  by  a  fine 
stroke  of  "hunter's  luck." 

The  skinning  of  the  animal,  the  transportation  of  the 
skin  and  skull  to  the  main  camp,  and  their  preparation 
occupied  us  for  some  days.  Then  we  left  Heck  Island 
with  our  trophy. 

From  my  experience  it  may  be  seen  that  hunting 
the  buffalo  in  the  wilderness  of  East  Africa  is  no  easy 
matter.  It  was  dift'erent  before  1890,  the  year  in  which 
the  rinderpest  almost  completely  destroyed  the  buf- 
falo herds  in  British  and  German  East  Africa.  Hun- 
dreds of  bleached  buffalo  skulls  are  even  now  met  by 
the  hunter  in  those  regions,  ghastly  mementoes  of  that 
ravaging  disease. 

The  time  has  passed  forever  when  hunters — like  Count 
Telekis,in  1887, at  the  Ngnaso-Niyuki — ^shot  twenty-five 
buffaloes  within  three  months;  when,  as  Richard  Boehm 
tells  us,  herds  of  hundreds  of  buffaloes  roamed  over  the 
mountainous  districts  of  the  Kawende,  on  the  plains  and 
in  the  bush,  attracting  the  hunter  by  their  bellowing. 

174 


BUFFALOES  AND  CROCODILES 

This  all  sounds  like  a  tale  of  by-gone  times.  Yet  the 
pest  not  only  almost  exterminated  the  buffalo,  but  it 
also  destroyed  the  prosperity  of  the  cattle -raising  Masai 
tribes,  and  decimated  their  numbers  by  the  famine  which 
accompanied  it.  Often  I  found  heaps  of  bones  of  cattle, 
and  mixed  up  with  them  human  skulls.  They  marked 
the  camps  of  the  Masai  in  i8go. 

There  are  but  remnants  left  of  the  once  numerous 
and  rich  Masai  nation.  During  the  famine  the  men 
sold  many  women  and  children  as  slaves  to  their  agri- 
cultural neighbors  in  exchange  for  food. 

But  few  buffaloes  are  left  in  German  and  Enghsh  East 
Africa,  as  I  had  occasion  to  find  out  for  myself  on  my  ex- 
peditions through  the  Masai-Nyika,  the  immense  steppe. 
A  few  herds  I  found  in  the  swamps  of  the  Pangani 
River,  another  near  Manjara  Lake;  a  few  I  sighted  on 
the  high  plateau  of  Mau,  nine  thousand  feet  above  the 
sea;   a  few   also   near  the   Ndjiri   swamps.     And   even 
this  small  number,  thinly  spread  over  so  large  an  area, 
is   daily  reduced   by  conscienceless    European   hunters 
and  native  soldiers— the  Askari— of  the  colonial  troops,- 
in  spite  of  all  the  precautions  the  colonial  governments 
have   taken,    and   in   spite   of   all   the   ordinances  they 
have  issued  for  the  protection  and  preservation  of  the 
almost  extinct  animal. 

How  long  will  it  be— or,  rather,  how  soon  will  it  be — 
before  the  East  African  buffalo  will  be  among  the  ex- 
tinct animals,  extinct  by  the  hand  of  man? 

175 


XVI 

THE    GIRAFFE 

ONE  of  the  most  interesting  mammals  is  the  giraffe, 
the  tallest  of  quadrupeds,  of  which  several  species 
are  found  in  Africa.  Together  with  the  newly  discov- 
ered okapi,  it  is  the  most  striking  animal  in  appearance 
of  the  varied  African  fauna.  It  attracts  our  attention 
when  we  visit  the  zoological  gardens  or  when  we  see 
its  form  in  animal-picture  books.  Incomparably  more 
vivid  and  lasting  is  our  impression,  of  course,  when  we 
have  occasion  to  observe  the  animal  in  a  state  of  free- 
dom in  the  wilderness. 

One  would  think  that  the  zebra,  the  leopard,  and  the 
giraffe,  in  consequence  of  their  remarkably  diversified 
coloring,  are  easily  seen  in  their  native  haunts.  But 
such  is  not  the  case.  On  the  contrary,  their  coloring  is 
in  perfect  harmony  with  their  surroundings.  Besides, 
one  cannot  expect  always  to  see  these  animals  at  close 
range;  they  have  to  be  made  out  imm  a  great  distance, 
as  they  are  difficult  to  approach.  In  certain  lights, 
however,  the  human  eye  may  easily  overlook  them, 
even  when  they  are  very  near,   so  perfectly  do  they 

176 


THE   GIRAFFE 

often  blend  with  their  surroundings,  not  only  in  the 
dry,  but  also  in  the  rainy  season.  The  general  color  of 
the  giraffe  varies  considerably,  even  within  the  same 
herd.  It  ranges  from  pale  chestnut  to  very  dark  choco- 
late,  the  females   and  young  males  being,   as   a  rule, 


BULL    GIRAFFE    AT    ONE    HUNDRED    METRES    DISTANCE 

light  in  color.  I  have  seen  herds  of  forty-five  and  more 
animals  the  members  of  which  differed  greatly  in  their 
coloring,  particularly  in  the  irregularly  shaped  blotches; 
the  old  males  are,  in  general,  darker  than  the  rest. 

The  giraffe  preferably  frequents  the  arid  African 
plains ;  seven-tenths  of  German  East  Africa  consists  of 
nothing  else,  and  are  therefore  an  "Eldorado"  for  the 
giraffe,  which  need  not  select  its  haunts  within  easy 
reach  of  drinking-places,  as  it  can  go  for  days  without 
water.  Yet  where  water  is  available  it  drinks  freely. 
Ordinarily  the  sap  of  leaves  and  twigs  on  which  it  feeds 
supplies  liquid  in  sufficient  quantities.  Not  only  the 
different  species  of  acacia,  but  als(^  other  leaf-bearing 
trees  furnish  the  giraffe  with  food,  but  it  never  eats 
"  177 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

grass  unless  it  has  to,  as  in  captivity.  Many  animals 
which  in  a  state  of  freedom  browse  on  leaves  and  tender 
twigs  of  trees,  bushes,  and  shrubs,  but  never  or  very  rare- 
ly on  grass — elephants  and  rhinoceroses  and  giraffes,  for 
instance  —  are  fed  in  captivity  mainly  on  hay  or  fresh 
clover  and  grass,  as  it  is  impossible  to  furnish  them 
with  the  enoiTnous  quantities  of  leaves  and  twigs  which 
they  need.  It  is  remarkable  how  well  most  of  these 
animals  adapt  themselves  to  the  change  of  diet  and 
how  well  they  thrive  on  it.  The  giraffe,  however,  never 
looks  as  well-fed  in  captivity  as  it  does  in  freedom. 
Many  of  my  pictures,  which  were  taken  of  the  "  twigga" 
in  the  wilderness,  clearly  show  this. 

Some  animals,  like  the  kudu,  never  get  quite  accus- 
tomed to  the  changed  conditions  of  cHmate  and  food, 
and  soon  die  in  captivity. 

While  the  arid  plains  of  the  steppe  are  the  regular 
habitat  of  the  giraffe,  it  is  also  met  with  in  the  mountain 
forests.  I  found  it  in  woods  over  six  thousand  feet  above 
sea-level. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  and  valuable  pictures  I 
ever  took  is  that  of  an  old  bull  giraffe  in  company  with 
two  aged  male  elephants.*  I  had  followed  the  trio  for 
weeks  through  the  forest  of  the  western  Kilimanjaro, 
waiting  for  the  propitious  moment  when  the  sun  would 
break  through  the  clouds  and  make  it  possible  for  me 
to  take  the  much-desired  long-distance  picture.     It  was 

*  See  page  113. 
178 


7i 
> 

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> 

2 
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o 

a 

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> 

> 


^-■•#-.; 


179 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

in  the  month  of  June,  when  the  nights  are  starlit  and 
the  days  are  cloudy.  I  had  repeatedly  noticed  this  as- 
sociation of  giraffes  and  elephants.  Once  I  also  saw 
an  old  bull  giraffe  way  up  in  the  mountain  forest  amid 
a  herd  of  eland  antelopes. 

The  giraffe  most  likely  prefers,  at  times,  the  woods 
to  the  comparatively  treeless  steppe,  not  only  on  ac- 
count of  greater  safety,  but  also  to  avoid  the  blood- 
sucking tabanus  and  other  parasites. 

When  I  first  went  to  East  Africa,  in  1896,  I  was  told 
that  the  rinderpest  had  almost  exterminated  the  giraffe, 
and  that  it  was  met  with  only  in  the  remotest  interior. 
No  doubt  that  disease  has  carried  off  many  giraffes,  as 
well  as  other  animals,  but  they  are  still  found  quite  fre- 
quently. 

As  much  harm  as  the  murrain  may  have  done,  just  as 
much,  if  not  more,  is  done  by  reckless  hunting.  The 
hunting  of  elephants  and  rhinoceroses  being  difficult 
and  extremely  dangerous,  the  giraffe  is  a  welcome  and 
easy  target,  not  only  to  the  white  hunter,  but  also  to 
the  Askari.  This  target-practice  was  frequently  encour- 
aged. It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  resolutions  of  the 
international  conference  lately  held  in  London  for  the 
protection  of  wild  game  will  bear  fruit.  The  ordinances 
issued  for  German  East  iVfrica  by  Count  Goetzen  are  a 
promising  beginning.  It  is  favorable  to  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  giraffe  that  the  Mohammedan  Sudanese  As- 
kari do  not  eat  the  flesh  of  this  animal. 

180 


THE    GIRAFFE 

The  natives,  too,  are  fond  of  hunting  and  capturing 
this  animal  by  poisoned  arrows  and  deep  pitfalls. 

The  giraffe  was  formerly  extensively  found  from 
Nubia  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  In  South  Africa  it 
is  now  wholly  extinct.  A  well-mounted  hunter  could 
shoot  it  at  will,  and  its  skin  furnished  the  Boers  with 
the  long  and  effective  whips  for  their  ox-teams.  Since 
the  giraffe  has  disappeared  from  the  Transvaal,  German 
East  Africa  has  supplied  much  of  the  demand  for  the 
highly  valued  skins,  and  for  a  long  time  their  market- 
price  was  quoted  in  the  Tanga  paper.  The  animals 
were  hunted  in  the  remote  interior,  their  skins  were  cut 
into  narrow  strips,  packed  in  bales  of  sixty  pounds,  and 
carried  to  the  coast  for  exportation.  The  hunting  is 
now  much  restricted  and  the  supervision  by  the  cus- 
tom-house officers  strict  and  efficient. 

The  giraffe  is  by  nature  shy,  and,  when  much  hunted, 
like  all  other  animals,  becomes  very  cautious.  In  the 
steppe  of  the  interior  I  have  approached  the  giraffe 
within  six  hundred  feet,  and  nearer  still  in  the  bush. 
It  is  exceedingly  keen  of  smell  and  hearing,  and  still 
more  so  of  sight,  and  taxes  the  skill  of  a  good  sportsman, 
especially  in  East  Africa,  where  horses  cannot  be  used. 
The  large,  lustrous  eye  commands  a  wide  angle  of  vision, 
and  the  leading  bull  or  cow  is  constantly  on  the  lookout 
while  the  herd  rests  in  the  shade  of  the  trees.  A  switch 
of  the  long  tail  warns  the  herd,  and  it  seeks  safety  in 
immediate  flight.     The  animal's  pace  is  a  peculiar  gal- 

i8i 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

lop,  the  fore  and  hind  legs  of  the  same  side  moving  at 
the  same  time. 

I  found  it  very  difficult  to  photograph  the  giraffe, 
and  only  succeeded,  after  many  fruitless  attempts,  in 
taking  pictures  of  this  fleet  animal  in  full  flight. 
The  light  must  be  favorable  if  they  are  taken  in  the 
open  steppe ;  among  trees  and  bushes  the  animals  stand 
out  very  little  from  their  surroundings.  The  coloring 
of  the  species  which  I  discovered,  for  instance,  is  rather 
vague.  At  some  distance  it  is  often  very  hard  to  dis- 
tinguish the  animals,  ■  their  long  necks  and  heads 
almost  exactly  resembling  dead  and  branchless  tree- 
stumps. 

To  see  a  whole  herd  of  giraffes  in  motion  is  a  strange 
sight.  The  characteristic  pace  makes  their  bodies  swing 
to  and  fro,  and  their  necks  look  like  so  many  masts  of 
ships  rolling  about  in  a  heavy  sea.  This  motion  is  in- 
variably accompanied  by  a  pendulous  swinging  of  the 
tails. 

In  my  opinion,  the  tail  takes  the  place  of  an  "  organ 
of  speech"  for  the  giraffe,  which  is  entirely  mute.  Its 
variegated  swinging,  turning,  switching,  and  curving, 
no  doubt,  constitute  a  code  of  signals,  a  kind  of  ani- 
mal "deaf-and-dumb  language."  This  "tail  language" 
is  supplemented  by  expressive  postures  of  neck  and 
body,  so  that  the  giraffes  have  quite  an  extensive  vo- 
cabulary at  their  command  in  communicating  with  one 
another. 

182 


THE    GIRAFFE 

On  two  occasions  I  found  the  red -billed  bird  friend  of 
the  rhinoceros  associated  with  the  giraffe. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  prepare  and  preserve  the  skin  of 
the  giraffe,  especially  that  of  an  old  bull,  because  large 
quantities  of  salt  and  alum   are  needed  for  this   pur- 


GIRAFFES    IN    A    CLUMP    OF    ACACIAS 


pose,  and  large  vessels  for  the  impregnation  of  the 
skins.  This  is  the  reason  that  so  few  museums  pos- 
sess specimens  of  full-grown  bull  giraffes.  I  myself 
succeeded  in  preserving  a  number  of  hides  of  young 
males  and  females,  which  are  now  on  exhibition  in 
the    museums    of    Stuttgart,    Munich,    Karlsruhe,    and 

183 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

other  German  cities;  but,  although  I  tried  my  hand  at 
preparing  the  skins  of  three  big  bull  giraffes,  I  had  to 
relinquish  the  task  as  impossible,  for  they  were  of  the 
toughest  description.  These  skins  grow,  naturally,  more 
and  more  valuable  the  rarer  the  animals  become. 

According  to  Mr.  H.  A.  Bryden's  report,  ten  years 
ago,  three  hundred  giraffes  were  killed  within  a  short 
time,  near  the  Ngami  Lake,  in  South  Africa,  by  natives 
hunting  in  the  employ  of  European  traders.  The  skins 
brought  four  to  six  pounds  sterling  apiece.  This  was, 
as  Mr.  Bryden  states,  only  a  small  fraction  of  the  num- 
ber of  giraffes  killed  at  that  time  south  of  the  Zambesi 
RiVer. 

It  is  high  time  to  secure  as  many  skins  as  possible 
for  our  museums;  for,  in  spite  of  all  protective  laws, 
the  giraffe  will  soon  be  counted  among  the  extinct  races 
of  animals.  Since  the  invention  of  the  far-reaching 
small -caliber  rifle  and  the  smokeless  powder,  the  tall 
animal  may  be  easily  killed  even  by  an  amateur  hunter; 
the  target  is  large  and  the  danger  of  hunting  only  slight. 
Many  animals,  shot  at  by  unskilled  hunters,  escape  to 
die  in  the  thorny  thickets  of  the  acacia  forests,  and  to 
be  eaten  up  by  vultures  and  hyenas.  It  is  fortunate 
that  the  giraffe  cannot  be  hunted  on  horseback  in  East 
Africa — horses  cannot  stand  the  climate — otherwise  it 
long  ago  w^ould  have  suffered  the  fate  of  its  South  Afri- 
can relation. 

I  am  convinced  that  the  giraffe  is  absolutely  mute, 

184 


THE    GIRAFFE 

and  Mr.  A.  H.  Newman,  the  well-known  English  ele- 
phant hunter,  holds  the  same  opinion.  Dr.  Heinroth, 
however,  claims  to  have  heard  the  young  bull  giraffe  in 
the  Berlin  zoological  gardens  utter,  at  times,  a  slight 
bleating  sound. 

The  girafife  is  an  inoffensive  animal,  and  runs  away 
rather  than  fight,   for  it  is  comparatively  defenceless. 


BULL    GIRAFFE    IN    FLIGHT 


The  only  weapon  it  uses  appears  to  be  its  heels.  But 
it  can  use  them  with  good  effect  against  man  and  lion, 
its  only  enemies. 

I  have  often  found  giraffes  killed  by  lions,  but  I  be- 
lieve, as  a  rule,  it  takes  two  or  more  of  the  felines  to 

185 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

stalk  and  to  overpower  a  full  -  grown  bull.  Yet  the 
"lion's  ride"  depicted  by  Freiligrath,  the  German  poet, 
is  a  possible  thing.  Andersson  relates  that  he  once  saw 
a  giraffe  with  a  lion  on  its  back. 

The  powerful  kick  of  the  bull  giraffe  is  apt  to  keep 
a  lion  at  a  respectful  distance.  The  giraffe  is  even  able 
to  shake  off  his  enemy  and  run  away  from  him.  Near 
the  Grecei  volcano  I  killed  a  bull  with  many  scars  and 
minus  the  tuft  of  the  tail.  The  old  bulls,  as  a  rule, 
are  wary  and  do  not  frequent  the  drinking-places,  the 
natural  hunting-grounds  of  the  lion,  as  often  as  do  the 
young  and  the  females. 

Where  other  game  is  plentiful  the  lion  will  leave  the 
giraffe  alone. 

Yet,  between  the  lion's  tooth  and  the  small-caliber 
rifle  of  the  human  hunter,  the  giraffe  will  not  escape 
destruction. 


XVII 

ZEBRAS 


THERE  is  hardly  any  zoological  garden  which  does 
not  possess  one  or  more  specimens  of  the  African 
zebra.  The  zebras  of  the  northern  part  of  German  East 
Africa  are  divided  into  two  zoo -geographical  species, 
the  Equus  bochnu  and  the  Equus  granti. 

Although  their  number  has  been  reduced  consider- 
ably within  the  last,  decades,  numerous  herds  of  the 
beautiful  equidoe  are  still  roving  qver  the  wide  steppe. 
The  zebra  is  essentially  an  animal  of  the  plain  and  of 
the  thinly  wooded  forest,  but  it  frequents  also  mod- 
erately high  mountainous  districts.  We  often  found 
zebras  in  company  with  ostriches,  antelopes,  gazelles, 
and  gnus.  I  have  often  seen  herds  of  gnus  and  zebras 
feeding  and  drinking  peacefully  side  by  side. 

Like  almost  all  other  animals  in  virgin  countries,  the 
zebra  becomes  shy  and  cautious,  mainly  by  being  much 
hunted.  The  natives  hunt  the  animal  for  food  only, 
but  don't  kill  it  merely  for  the  sake  of  the  sport.  It 
can  still  be  easily  hunted  by  the  European  traveller 
and  the  Askari  with  their  long-range  rifles.     After  a 

187 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND    RIFLE 

while,  however,  it  becomes  suspicious,  shy  and  very 
cautious.  I  always  found  zebras  rather  trustful.  One 
of  the  finest  sights  one  may  see  is  a  large  herd  of  these 
beautiful    "tiger-horses"   galloping  over  the   steppe. 

To  estimate  the  number  of  zebras  in  German  East 
Africa  is,  of  course,  very  hard.  Fifty  thousand  have 
been  mentioned  as  the  maximum  number.  According 
to  my  own  calculation,  their  number  amounts  to  at 
least  several  hundred  thousand. 

The  black-and-white  striped  animals  blend  remark- 
ably well  with  the  colors  of  the  steppe,  so  that  they  are 
hard  to  distinguish  even  at  close  range.  Under  certain 
lights  they  appear  grayish,  a  phenomenon  which  may 
account  for  the  oft-repeated  assertion  that  there  are 
wild  asses  in  German  East  Africa.  The  zebras  rest  at 
noon,  in  the  shade  of  trees  and  high  bushes,  then  the 
dancing  shadows  of  branches  and  twigs  mingle  strange- 
ly with  their  stripes. 

Just  as  the  cave-dw^ellers  of  old  loved  to  feast  on  the 
flesh  of  wild  horses,  so  the  natives  of  East  Africa  are 
passionately  fond  of  the  sweet  flesh  of  the  zebra,  which 
they  prefer  to  that  of  any  other  game. 

The  zebra  is  polygamous,  a  sort  of  animal  Mormon; 
the  strong  stallion  guards  his  harem  jealously.  The 
blood  is,  however,  sufficiently  mixed,  because  mares 
join  other  herds  when  their  lord  and  master  is  killed 
by  beasts  of  prey. 

The  stallion  is  not  only  the  lord,  but  also  the  pro- 

i88 


N 

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m 

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> 

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> 
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> 


o 
> 


189 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

tector  of  his  herd.  He  acts  as  a  sentinel  and  gives  the 
alarm  with  a  shrill  neigh  if  a  beast  of  prey  or  a  hunter 
approaches.  Then  the  troop  gallops  off  with  a  great 
clatter  and  in  a  cloud  of  dust.  The  zebra  is  often  also 
heard  to  utter  a  noise  like  a  hoarse  bark. 

The  zebra  is  exceedingly  ferocious,  and  attacks  with 
its  teeth  any  one  approaching  sufficiently  near,  as  we 
may  see  when  we  visit  the  zoological  gardens. 

Savageness  and  ferocity  are  characteristic  qualities 
common  to  all  eqiiidoe  living  in  freedom.  When  the 
Spanish  conquerors  brought  horses  from  Europe  to  the 
New  World,  many  escaped  into  the  wilderness  and  pro- 
duced, in  time,  immense  herds  of  wild  horses.  Although 
they  were  descended  from  domesticated  ancestors,  it 
proved  a  hard  task  to  tame  them.  They  had  partially 
relapsed  into  their  original  ferocity.  The  bucking  pony 
has  still  to  be  subdued  almost  daily. 

The  wild  adult  horses  of  the  Asiatic  high  steppe  re- 
fuse to  be  tamed  even  by  the  experienced  native  tribes, 
famous  for  their  horsemanship  and  their  skill  in  horse- 
training.  Lately,  many  attempts  have  been  made  to 
tame  the  zebra,  and  to  make  it  generally  useful.  Some 
claim  that  it  is  destined  to  become  a  useful  "beast  of 
burden"  and  draught-animal;  in  fact,  to  take  the  place 
of  our  horse,  which  is  useless  in  East  Africa,  as  it  suc- 
cumbs unfailingly  to  the  climate  and  the  tsetse  -  fly. 
This  is,  no  doubt,  very  desirable,  but  the  enthusiasts 
will  hardly  live  to  see  their  expectations  realized.     To 

190 


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> 

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w 

> 


n 

o 

I?* 
> 


191 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

tame  an  animal  and  to  make  it  serviceable  are  two  dif- 
ferent things.  To  domesticate  animals  so  that  they 
will,  like  slaves,  carry  out  obediently  the  command  of 
man  is  not  a  matter  of  a  few  years  but  of  many  gen- 
erations. We  do  not  know  when  and  how  the  camels, 
the  cattle,  and  the  horses  were  completely  pressed  into 
man's  service,  but  we  can  safely  assert  that  it  could 
only  have  been  done  by  centuries  of  breeding  and 
training. 

No  doubt  the  zebra  can  be  tamed,  and  may,  perhaps, 
become  domesticated  in  time,  but  surely  not  so  soon 
as  enthusiasts  would  have  us  believe.  This  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  a  few  young  animals,  some  born  in  cap- 
tivity, have  been  broken  to  drive  in  fancy  carts  and  car- 
riages. 

In  vSouth  Africa  zebras  have  been  used  for  pleasure 
driving  usually  hitched  together  with  ponies.  But  the 
moment  hard  and  persistent  labor  was  asked  of  them, 
as  we  do  of  our  horses,  they  lie  down  and  die  of 
"broken  hearts." 

It  is  simply  Utopian  to  expect  to  train  and  domesti- 
cate the  beautiful  "tiger-horse"  in  an  appreciable  time 
as  completely  as  our  horses  and  asses.  Our  circus 
trainers  can  shed  some  light  on  the  question  of  taming 
and  domesticating  the  zebra.  It  simply  obeys  and  per- 
forms its  tricks  from  the  mere  fear  of  the  whip,  or  led 
by  its  gregarious  instinct  when  coupled  with  zebras, 
ponies,  or  other  animals.     But  give  it  a  chance  of  elud- 

192 


N 

w 
a 

JO 

> 
> 

o 
> 
o 

s 

Q 

H 
B 

a 
2 

2 
5 

? 

n 


193 


"WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

ing,  for  a  moment,  the  watchful  control  of  its  trainer, 
and  it  may  take  hours  to  get  it  from  the  arena  of  the 
circus  into  its  stall. 

The  zebra  may  be  made  to  pull  a  wagon  or  carriage 
when  hitched  together  with  ponies.  But  this  is  mostly 
play  and  not  work;  it  does  not  and  will  not  exert  its 
full  strength,  and  will  not  labor  until  exhausted,  as  our 
own  horses  do. 

In  addition,  the  build  of  the  zebra  bv  no  means  fits 
it  for  hard  work.  The  only  genuine  species  of  the  wild 
horse,  for  instance,  the  Eqiiiis  przewalski,  is  much  better 
made.  All  that  has  so  far  been  accomplished  in  train- 
ing the  zebra  is  hardly  worth  mentioning.  It  has  been 
taught  to  perform  some  tricks  in  the  circus — in  which 
it  is  outdone  by  most  beasts  of  prey — and  to  pull  light 
vehicles. 

I  have  personally  some  experience  in  breaking-in  re- 
fractory horses  and  in  training  them  as  riding  and 
draught  horses.  To  me  it  is  evident  that  there  can  be 
no  hope  of  taming  and  training  the  zebra  so  that  it  may 
be  used  as  a  draught  -  animal  in  German  East  Africa 
within  a  generation  or  within  several  generations,  and 
of  thus  solving  the  great  question  of  transportation  in 
those  parts  where  the  horse  and  cattle  cannot  be  em- 
ployed. It  would  be  much  more  reasonable  and  prom- 
ising to  train  the  native  ass  for  hard  work.  The  Wan- 
yamwesi  and  the  Masai  ass  are  patient  and  can  stand 
the  climate.     By  judicious  breeding  the  latter  animal 

194 


N 

m 

CO 

> 
w 

w 
o 
w 
Z 

H 
5^ 

O 


O 
5; 


195 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

could  be  materially  improved  in  a  short  time,  and  be 
made  stronger  and  more  useful. 

While  I  declare,  emphatically,  that  it  is  a  hopeless 
undertaking  to  capture  zebras,  and  to  press  them  into 
service,  they  have  even  been  talked  of  as  mounts  for 
the  colonial  troops.  I  do  heartily  endorse  any  scheme 
calculated  to  imiprove  the  breed  so  that  in  some  future 
time  the  animals  may  become  what  they  cannot  be 
now — namely,  truly  domesticated  and  useful.  Private 
enterprise  can  achieve  much  towards  furthering  this 
end,  but  I  believe  that  the  government  should  make 
it  its  duty  to  try  the  experiment  on  a  large  scale. 
Within  historic  time  man  has  domesticated  but  few 
wild  animals — the  turkey,  for  instance.  The  race  of  wild 
horses  in  Asia  will  hardly  survive;  therefore,  it  is  sure- 
ly worth  while  to  try  to  add  the  zebra  to  the  small 
number  of  the  useful  domestic  animal  friends  of  man. 
It  will  take  a  long  time— generations,  no  doubt — and  the 
attempt  may  prove  a  failure.  The  possibility  of  mak- 
ing the  attempt,  at  least,  has  been  assured  by  Count 
Goetzen,  who  put  the  zebra  on  the  list  of  wild  animals 
to  be  protected  by  the  colonial  governments  of  East 
Africa. 


XVIII 

LIONS 


THERE  are,  no  doubt,  as  many  lions  in  equatorial 
Africa  as  there  are  in  other  parts  of  the  "Dark 
Continent."  Yet  lions  are  more  rarely  met  with  there 
and  much  more  difficult  to  hunt  than  in  other  places 
where  horses  can  live  or  dogs  be  used.  In  Somaliland, 
for  instance,  one  may  scour  the  wide  plain  on  horse- 
back and  pursue  the  lions  until  they  are  brought  to  bay ; 
in  South  Africa  dogs  may  be  used;  in  East  Africa  one 
has  to  get  along  without  horses  or  dogs. 

A  hunter  in  tropical  East  Africa  meets  lions  during  the 
day,  mostly  by  mere  chance,  and  then  he  has  not  always 
his  rifle  at  hand;  or  he  has  to  watch  at  night  for  the 
passing  of  the  lion,  a  method  which  is  not  very  much  to 
my  taste.  No  doubt,  one  may  at  night  have  splendid 
success  shooting  from  a  higher  stand  or  from  out  a 
secure  thorn  thicket.  Count  Coudenhove,  for  instance, 
shot  in  one  night  seven  lions  which  were  prowling  about 
a  dead  elephant.  His  account  of  this  thrilling  adventure 
is,  in  my  opinion,  truthful,  straightforward,  and  without 
embellishment.     The  count  admits,   also,   that  he  felt 

197 


■WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

greatly  disconcerted  when  one  lion  after  another  emerged 
out  of  the  night  in  front  of  him.  Reading  his  account,  I 
could  fully  appreciate  his  feelings,  for  I  myself  have  had 
similar  experiences  with  lions. 

I  prefer,  however,  any  other  manner  of  hunting  the 
lion  to  lying  in  wait  for  him  at  night,  even  catching  him 
in  heavy  iron-traps.  Standing  at  night  for  hours,  and 
often  in  vain,  in  unhealthy  thickets,  without  rest  or  sleep, 
always  at  a  tension  which  unfits  one  for  the  next  day's 
work,  one  has  not  always  a  sure  aim  in  case  the  lion 
does  appear,  since  one  fires  almost  at  random  in  the 
darkness  of  the  night.  Hunting  the  lion  in  the  open, 
even  when  he  drags  the  iron -trap  by  which  he  may  have 
been  caught,  is  more  exciting  and  satisfactory  from  a 
S]iortsman's  point  of  view. 

The  lion  usually  rests  during  the  day  under  trees  and 
in  thickets ;  he  prowls  and  hunts  at  night.  So  it  happens 
that  a  lion  is  rarely  met  with  in  daytime,  and  even  then 
he  is  apt  to  spy  his  enemy  and  to  make  his  escape  be- 
fore the  hunter  is  ready  to  shoot. 

1  proved  to  my  own  satisfaction,  as  early  as  1896,  that 
lions  are  found  at  certain  times  of  the  year  living  to- 
gether in  troops.  Probably  this  has  been  the  case  all 
over  the  country.  North  Africa  included,  before  the 
natives  and  colonists  decimated  the  lions.  Reliable 
English  travellers  have  found  as  many  as  twenty-seven 
in  one  troop ;  the  largest  troop  observed  by  me  numbered 
seventeen.     Two  or  three  lionesses,  with  their  whelps, 

198 


LIONS 

are  often  seen  hunting  together.  One  also  often  finds 
several  male  lions  together,  or  a  male  lion  with  two 
lionesses ;  old  lionesses  alone,  and  also  solitary  old  lions. 
Their  grouping  depends  largely  on  the  season,  particular- 
ly the  pairing  season. 

Unless  the  lion  be  hungry,  he  rarely  attacks  human 
beings.     And  he  need  not  go  hungry  in  East  Africa, 


FLOCK    OF    MARABOUS 


which  is  still  rich  in  wild  game.  In  these  parts  the 
natives  often  follow  the  lion's  track,  guided  by  vultures 
and  marabous,  who  share  his  booty  by  taking  what  he 
leaves  of  the  game  he  has  killed. 

It  is  evident  from  what  I  have  said  that  it  is  not  easy 

199 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

to  observe  and  to  hunt  the  lion  in  tropical  Africa;  many 
a  well-known  explorer  has  crossed  it  from  coast  to  coast 
without  even  having  seen  a  lion.  Of  the  other  wild 
animals,  I  have  seen,  in  the  daytime,  on  the  open  steppe, 
but  one  of  the  striped  hyenas,  which  were  discovered  by 
me  and  named  after  me,  while  I  succeeded  in  catching 
ninety  in  traps  and  in  photographing  a  great  many  at 
night  by  the  use  of  the  flash-light. 

On  the  other  hand,  some  travellers  happened  to  come 
across  lions  in  the  daytime,  as,  for  instance,  the  duke  of 
Mecklenburg  and  Prince  Lichtenstein,  in  British  East 
Africa. 

The  manes  of  the  East  African  lions  in  general  do  not 
grow  so  long  or  strong  as  those  of  the  North  and  South 
African  lions,  or  of  the  lions  in  captivity.  The  mane  is 
most  likely  a  sexual  ornament.  Yet  there  are  adult 
male  lions  in  East  Africa — I  have  killed  such  myself — 
who  lack  every  vestige  of  a  mane.  Lions  born  in  cap- 
tivity grow  especially  long  and  shaggy  manes ;  in  fact, 
finer  specimens  have  probably  been  bred  in  zoological 
gardens  than  were  ever  seen  in  the  wilderness-.  The 
favorite  prey  in  countries  through  which  I  have  trav- 
elled seems  to  be  the  zebra;  the  caravan-carriers  also 
find  the  flesh  of  the  zebra  most  palatable. 

The  elephant,  rhinoceros,  and  hippopotamus  —  very 
young  animals  excepted — are  beyond  the  lion's  power. 
His  natural  prey  are  the  larger  antelopes  and  equine 
animals,  and  all  small-sized  game,  although  the  porcupine 

200 


LIONS 

will  often  make  a  vigorous  and  successful  defence. 
Lions  often  hunt  in  concert,  stalking  their  prey  most 
skilfully ;  they  communicate  with  one  another  by  modu- 
lated roaring.  When  watching  for  game  near  the  drink- 
ing-places,  the  lion  will  crouch  on  an  elevated  point — 
the  steep  bank  of  a  brook,  for  instance — and  then  rush 
at  his  prey  with  an  astounding  leap,  sometimes  of 
twenty  -  four  feet.  The  lion  is  not  able  to  climb 
trees. 

During  the  dry  season  lions  are  apt  to  concentrate  in 
considerable  numbers  near  the  drinking-places.  Near 
the  brook  where  I  was  most  successful  in  taking  flash- 
light pictures  of  lions,  more  than  thirty  of  various  sizes 
and  ages  had  made  their  lairs,  as  I  could  calculate  their 
number  by  the  tracks  left  by  the  beasts.  They  begin 
to  range  over  the  whole  country  as  soon  as  the  rainy 
season  sets  in,  to  follow  their  game. 

I  am  unable  to  decide  in  what  proportion  the  famous 
French  lion  hunter,  M.  Jules  Gerard,  has  mixed  truth 
and  fiction  in  the  narrative  of  liis  adventures.  He 
killed  in  North  Africa  forty  lions  or  more,  and  was 
feted  in  Algiers  like  a  hero. 

No  doubt  he  was  a  man  of  rare  courage,  but  also  a 
good  deal  of  a  romancer.  However  fanciful  many  of  his 
tales  may  be,  he  is  without  doubt  right  when  he  says, 
"  Who  has  never  seen  an  adult  lion  in  the  state  of  free- 
dom may  believe  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight  with  this 
powerful  animal;  who  has  seen  one  knows  that  an  un- 

20I 


"^ITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

armed  man  has  about  as  much  chance  Avith  a  lion  as 
a  little  mouse  has  in  the  claws  of  a  cat." 

The  amount  of  lying  done,  consciously  and  uncon- 
sciously, in  describing  real  or  imaginary  lion -hunts  de- 
fies refutation.  The  lion  is  neither  as  bad  nor  as  pict- 
uresque as  he  is  often  painted,  and  many  of  the  evil 
deeds,  like  man-stealing,  imputed  to  him  must  be  charged 
against  other  wild  beasts,  the  savage  leopard,  for  in- 
stance. 

The  lion  has,  in  art  and  literature,  been  celebrated, 
from  ancient  times,  as  the  "king  of  beasts."  The 
African  elephant  deserves  this  title  of  honor  in  a  much 
higher  degree. 

How  the  lion  in  the  wilderness  behaves  in  the  presence 
of  man  depends  on  such  a  diversity  of  circumstances  and 
varies  so  with  individuals  that  it  is  hard  to  generalize. 
He  ^^'ill,  as  a  rule,  not  attack  a  man,  Tuit  when  hungry 
or  when  brought  to  bay  he  may  charge  on  the  instant. 
Certain  lions,  old  ones  in  particular,  will,  like  the  "  man- 
eating"  tigers  of  India,  get  into  the  habit  of  deliberately 
seeking  human  flesh. 

Lionesses  as  a  rule,  and  especially  when  their  whelps 
are  with  them,  are  more  ready  to  attack  and  more  dan- 
gerous than  the  male  lions.  It  is  always  advisable  to  kill 
first  the  lioness  and  then  the  lion ;  she  will  attack  the 
hunter  who  fires  at  her  consort.  In  this  she  behaves 
more  gallantly  than  he  does ;  the  lion  is  less  self-sacrific- 
ing and  looks  out  for  his  own  skin  first. 

202 


LIONS 


The  degree  of  tamability  and  education  of  the  capt- 
ured lions  varies  very  much  indeed.  Here,  too,  gener- 
alizing would  be  out  of  place.  The  kittens  are  gentle, 
playful,  and  affectionate.  Adult  lions,  also,  have  been 
known  to  be  docile,  subdued,  and  even  to  care  for  their 
teachers.  Others,  though  apparently  tamed  and  obe- 
dient, can  never  be  fully  trusted;  fear  rather  than  af- 
fection keeps  the  average  lion  in  subjection.  What  can 
be  achieved  by  gentle  training  has  been  shown  by 
trainer  Haveman  in  the  Berlin  zoological  gardens. 

It  happens,  in  rare  cases,  that  lions  will  penetrate  into 
human  habitations  and  carry  off  men. 

When  the  Uganda  railroad  was  building,  two  engineers 
slept  in  a  car,  the  door  of  which  they  had  left  open  on 
account  of  the  hcat.>  The  one  sleeping  on  a  high  couch 
was  suddenly  awakened  by  a  noise.  To  his  terror  he 
saw  a  lion  carrying  off  his  comrade,  whom  the  beast  had 
killed.  There  were  at  that  time  forty  natives  of  India 
killed,  who  worked  on  that  road.  They  had  been  sleep- 
ing in  the  open.  No  wonder  that  the  neighboring  lions 
acquired  a  taste  for  human  flesh ! 

Lions  are  seldom  abroad  in  daytime,  and,  when  hunt- 
ing by  day,  as  a  rule,  run  away  at  the  approach  of  men. 
They  are  fearless  and  daring  at  night.  Even  fires  do  not 
guarantee  absolute  safety  from  the  prowling  lions.  I 
know  of  a  few  cases  where  natives  sleeping  by  their 
fires— perhaps  only  smouldering— were  carried  off  by 
lions,  though  my  own  camp  has  never  been  visited  by 

203 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 


A    STORK  S    NEST    OX     THE    STEPPE 


them.  They  came  near  enough,  though.  During  an 
intensely  dark  night  a  strong  male  lion  almost  grazed 
my  tent  on  his  way  to  the  near-by  brook ;  he  might  have 
given  it  a  wide  berth  and  still  reached  the  water.  After 
drinking  he  returned  on  the  same  path.  He  was  not  in 
a  hurry,  either,  for  the  next  day  I  saw,  from  the  tracks  he 
left,  that  he  had  tarried  about  twenty  feet  from  my  tent 
to  inspect  carefully  a  large,  dry  bone.  I  myself  had 
plenty  of  opportunity  to  observe  the  utter  indif- 
ference which  the  lion  shows  towards  man  when  he 
hunts  his  prey  at  night.  He  will  attack  and  kill  asses  or 
bulls  fastened  to  trees  three  or  four  steps  from  a  thicket 

204 


LIONS 

in  which  the  hunter  is  watching  for  him.  This  neglect 
of  the  lion  enabled  me  not  only  to  observe  the  royal 
beast  at  close  range,  but  also  to  flash  the  light  of  my 
camera  at  him  and  to  catch  him  in  the  very  act.  These 
night-pictures  of  mine  prove,  among  other  things,  that 
the  lion  does  not  approach  his  prey  in  leaps,  but  that  he, 
true  to  his  feline  nature,  adopts  stealthy  approach  before 
he  makes  a  single  dash  for  it  and  kills  it  instantly,  biting 
or  breaking  its  neck. 

In  1900  1  had  the  good-fortune  to  observe  a  remark- 
able incident  of  animal  life.  I  had  been  following  the 
tracks  of  some  lions  for  many  hours,  when  suddenly  I 
chanced  to  come    upon    an   ostrich   nest    containing  a 


f 


'    A  : 


L 


Km^tMm^-wtn 


MALE  STORK  NEAR  THE  NEST 
205 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

number  of  eggs  and  also  some  young  birds  just  hatched. 
I  was  astonished  to  see  that  the  lions  had  disdained  the 
young  ostriches.  But  a  close  investigation  of  the 
surrounding  ground  revealed  to  me  the  truth.  The 
parent  ostriches  had,  apparently,  become  aware  of  the 
approach  of  the  big  felines  in  time  and  had  decoyed 
them  away  from  their  nest,  inducing  the  lions  to  follow 
them  on  their  feigned  flight.  I  noticed  from  the  tracks 
how  the  lions,  about  a  hundred  paces  from  the  nest,  sud- 
denly changed  their  course  and  followed  the  big  birds, 
which  they,  of  course,  had  no  chance  to  catch.  After 
a  while — the  impressions  of  their  paws  told  the  tale — 
the  lions  gave  up  the  pursuit  and  continued  on  their 
path  at  a  slower  gait.  Thus  the  parents  had  saved 
their  brood. 

The  lions  very  seldom  hunt  in  daytime,  except,  per- 
haps, during  the  cooler  season  of  the  year.  During  the 
heat  of  day  they  prefer  to  rest  in  the  shade  of  trees  or 
thickets.  Even  captive  lions  dislike  heat,  and  show  a 
marked  disinclination  to  perform  their  tricks  in  hot 
weather.  The  lion  can  stand  cold  easily.  Some  kinds 
of  hons,  in  Asia  for  instance,  live  in  high  latitudes,  al- 
though they  are  not  found  as  far  north  as  is  the  Siberian 
tiger,  who  lives  in  the  midst  of  snow  and  ice,  protected 
against  the  inclemency  of  the  climate  by  a  thick  coat  of 
fur.  In  the  time  preceding  the  glacial  epoch  and  during 
its  early  stages,  lions  roamed  over  all  Southern  Europe, 
Germany,  France,  and  the  British  Isles,  and  survived  in 

206 


o 

c/) 

2 

o 
X 

w 

en 
H 


207 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

many  parts — Rumania,  Greece,  Turkey,  the  Caucasus — 
well  into  historic  times. 

In  East  Africa  itself  lions  frequently  haunt  the  high 
plateaus  and  mountainous  regions,  where  the  nights  are 
often  cool  enough  for  ice  to  form,  and  whence  the  roar 
of  the  royal  beast  sounds  far  into  the  cold  and  silent 
night  of  the  steppe. 


XIX 

A    LION-HUNT 

TOWARDS  the  end  of  January,  1897,  with  a  small 
caravan  I  reached  the  Kikuyu  district.  I  came 
from  the  Victoria-Nyanza,  where  I  had  been  laid  up  for 
months  with  malaria.  That  I  am  alive  to  tell  the  tale 
I  owe,  above  all,  to  the  devotion  of  two  English  officers 
in  Fort  Mumias,  Mr.  C.  W.  Hobley  and  Mr.  Tomkins, 
who  nursed  me  through  that  terrible  fever.  In  May, 
1896,  I  had  joined  a  caravan  of  about  four  hundred  and 
twenty  men,  which  were  starting  on  a  scientific  expedi- 
tion,  having  marched  from  the  German  coast  to  the 
Victoria-Nyanza,  and  traversing  on  its  way  districts 
hitherto  unknown  and  unexplored. 

I  refrain  from  describing  this  interesting  expedition, 
and  confine  myself  to  relating  to  the  patient  reader  an 
adventure  which  I  had  on  January  25,  1897,  in  Kikuyu, 
on  my  return  to  the  coast.  The  invigorating  air  of  this 
high  land  had  improved  me  so  much  that  I  could  not 
resist  the  desire  to  hunt  for  game.  On  January  24,  I 
was  the  guest  of  Mr.  Hall,  the  commandant  of  Fort 
Smith,  in  Kikuyu,  who,  in  his  characteristic  English  way, 
14  209 


With  flash-light  and  rifle 

not  only  entertained  me  hospitably,  but  also  provided 
me  with  food  and  animals  for  my  farther  journey.  Our 
conversation  turned  naturally  to  the  "  big  and  dangerous 
game" — ^elephants,  rhinoceroses,  buffaloes,  lions,  and 
leopards.  Mr.  Hall,  a  Nimrod  of  the  old  type,  had  only 
lately  had  an  encounter  with  a  male  rhinoceros,  which  he 
had  wounded,  and  which  had  turned  on  him  and  had 
tossed  him  three  times  high  up  into  the  air,  breaking 
several  of  his  ribs.  Hardly  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
this  "hazing,"  Mr.  Hall  escaped  by  a  hair's  -  breadth 
from  being  mauled  by  a  leopard.  The  wounded  animal 
had  turned  on  him,  and  he  was  only  saved  by  the  lucky 
shot  of  one  of  his  Askaris.  Many  scars  and  a  stiff  leg 
attested  these  exciting  experiences,  which  taught  him  the 
lesson  never  to  go  out  hunting  unless  accompanied  by 
another  courageous  and  experienced  European  hunter. 
He  advised  me  to  profit  by  his  experience,  in  case  I  in- 
tended hunting  lions,  which,  as  he  told  me,  were  pretty 
numerous  on  the  "  Athiplains,"  not  far  from  Fort  Smith. 
I  accepted  the  invitation  tendered  to  me  by  Corporal 
Ellis  to  visit  him  in  his  camp,  five  hours'  distant  from 
the  fort. 

I  took  leave  of  Mr.  Hall.  After  five  hours'  march  I 
reached,  with  my  caravan.  Corporal  Ellis's  camp.  He 
had  charge  of  the  oxen  stabled  there  by  the  English 
government.  With  him,  as  guards,  were  a  large  num- 
ber of  experienced  Askaris.  The  corporal  had  killed  a 
big  lioness    close   to  his  camp    a   fortnight   before  my 

2IO 


A    LION-HUNT 

arrival.     We    arranged   to    start    on  a  lion-hunt  early 
the  following  morning. 

We   marched   across   country   until  we   reached   the 
"Mto   Nairobi,"   a  small  river.     There   I   pitched   my 


LIONESS    ON    THE    HUNT 


camp,  disregarding  the  advice  of  Corporal  Ellis,  who 
warned  me  against  the  lions  which,  as  he  said,  were 
numerous  just  in  that  neighborhood.  I  was  a  little 
sceptical  regarding  the  number  of  lions. 

Corporal  ElHs,  five  of  my  men,  and  myself  set  out  to 
explore  the  neighborhood  of  the  river.    We  marched  up- 


211 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

stream  alongside  the  river  for  some  distance  and  ther 
retraced  our  steps.  We  saw  on  the  plain  many  gnus, 
antelopes,  Thomson  gazelles,  zebras,  and  ostriches. 

We  were  marching  slowly  along,  two  of  our  men  walk- 
ing on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  when  suddenly  we 
heard  the  cry:  "Simba!  Simba!  Simba  Bwana! 
Kubwa  Sana!"  (A  lion,  lord,  a  mighty  lion!)  The  men 
on  the  other  side  tried  to  point  out  to  us  the  animal  in 
a  small  reed  thicket  near  the  water.  As  soon  as  the 
natives  who  were  with  me  heard  the  cry  from  the  oppo- 
site bank  they  took  to  their  heels.  My  rifle  -  carrier, 
Ramadan,  a  stalwart  and  usually  courageous  Swahili, 
was  among  them.  I  ran  after  him  and  forced  him  to 
return  with  me  and  to  search  the  reed  thicket  where 
the  animal  was,  although  invisible  to  us.  Soon  we  saw 
the  reeds  move ;  something  was  crawling  in  the  direc- 
tion where  Corporal  Ellis  stood.  A  sharp  report  from  his 
Martini-Henry  rifle  told  us  that  he  had  seen  the  enemy. 
The  animal  was  only  wounded.  .Roaring  with  pain  and 
rage,  it  bounded  forward  in  a  mighty  leap.  To  see  the 
head  and  to  fire  at  it  was  the  work  of  a  moment.  A 
bullet  from  my  rifle  killed  the  cat — it  was  a  big  lioness — 
in  the  nick  of  time.  We  returned  to  the  camp,  where 
our  men  recei\:ed  us  enthusiastically.  It  took  twelve 
men  to  carry  our  prey  to  the  camp;  in  its  stomach  we 
found  large  pieces  of  zebra  flesh  and  skin. 

After  a  short  breakfast  we  left  the  camp  again  to  hunt 
some  game  for  our  dinner.     Ellis,  who  w^ent  ahead,  was 

212 


M 
M 

O 

a 


o 
z 

w 

w 

M 

> 

H 

S 

w 

w 

O 
O 


213 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

not  very  successful.  He  saw  some  antelopes,  but  missed 
them. 

When  I  followed  the  corporal  about  half  an  hour  after- 
wards, I  saw  to  my  right,  not  so  very  far  off,  a  gazelle 
buck.  I  beckoned  to  my  men  to  stand  still,  and  tried  to 
stalk  the  animal.  I  had  approached  within  about  two 
hundred  feet  of  the  buck — my  Askaris  were  about  one 
thousand  feet  behind  me  and  hidden  from  me  by  the  un- 
evenness  of  the  ground — when  I  noticed,  three  hundred 
feet  or  so  beyond  him,  a  yellow  spot.  It  was  the  head 
of  a  lion ;  there  was  no  mistake  about  it.  At  the  same 
time  I  heard,  coming  from  iny  right,  a  well-known  sound, 
and,  turning  around,  I  saw,  about  four  hundred  feet  away 
from  me,  a  big  male  lion  with  a  blackish  mane  standing 
in  the  grass.  My  whole  attention  had  been  centred 
on  the  gazelle,  and  I  was  taken  c^uite  unawares  by  the 
sudden  appearance  of  two  lions.  This  was  too  much  of 
a  good  thing  for  a  single  hunter.  I  felt  very  keenly  my 
helplessness  to  cope  with  the  two  beasts  at  once.  I  had 
but  one  cartridge  in  my  rifle;  if  it  should  be  spent 
without  success,  the  lion  might  not  give  me  time  to 
reload. 

I  got  ready  to  fire,  keeping  my  eye  on  the  nearest 
lion,  a  male,  who  in  turn  did  not  take  his  eye  off  me, 
standing  with  head  erect,  growling  low  and  long.  How 
long  did  we  face  each  other  ?  It  may  have  been  only 
a  few  minutes ;  it  seemed  an  eternity  to  me.  I  felt  an 
unspeakable  relief  when  I  heard  some  of  my  men  calling 

214 


A    LION-HUNT 

my  name  and  coming  nearer  and  nearer.     I  dared  not 

turn  my  head. 

I  understood  something  like,  "  Simba  ile  kali  sana!" 

(That  lion  is  ugly!) 

I  moved  backward,  always  facing  the  lion,  and  ready 
to  fire,  until  I  knew  that  I  was  near  my  men.  My 
"Baruti  Boy,"  who  held  a  double-barrelled  rifle  ready 
for  me,  and  my  other  two  Askaris,  "Baruti  bin  itus," 
and  Ramadan  joined  me,  but  begged  me  not  to  fire.  I 
could  not  restrain  myself;  I  fired,  but  only  grazed  the 
male  lion.  Reloading  quickly,  I  fired  a  second  bullet  at 
him.  He  was  just  turning,  and  the  bullet  struck  his 
haunch  high  up.  In  pain  and  rage  he  whirled  around 
in  a  circle  about  twelve  times,  reaching  for  the  wound. 
I  fired  three  more  shots  at  him ;  two  reached  their  aim, 
and  the  lion  fell  with  a  groan  to  the  ground.  He  was 
dead  when  we  got  near  him. 

The  other  lion  had  escaped  in  the  mean  time.  Cor- 
poral Ellis,  attracted  by  my  shooting,  congratulated  me 
most  heartily  on  my  "hunter's  luck,"  but  chided  me  at 
the  same  time  for  having  engaged  two  lions  without  any 

assistance. 

Thus  I  had  killed  two  lions  in  one  forenoon!  The 
second  was  a  strong,  b  ack-maned  lion  whose  body  was 
covered  by  many  scars,  received,  perhaps,  in  jealous  com- 
bat for  the  favors  of  Honesses.  The  male  lions  found  on 
the  high  plateau  of  Kikuyu  have,  as  a  rule,  large  and 
often  blackish  manes ;  those  in  other  parts  of  East  Africa 

215 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

— for  instance,  in   the   valley  of  the  Rufu  River — are 
maneless. 

My  doubts  regarding  the  possible  number  of  lions  in 
this  neighborhood  were  now  removed,  and  two  hours 
before  sunset  I  again  left  the  camp  to  provide  our 
kitchen  with  game.  I  had  pretty  good  luck,  killing  sev- 
eral Thomson  antelopes.  Stalking  a  buck,  I  had  left 
my  native  companion  far  behind  me,  when  suddenly  I 
heard  again  that  now  familiar  warning  growl.  Looking 
in  the  direction  whence  it  came,  I  saw  first  one,  then  a 
second,  then  a  third  and  a  fourth  Hon,  all  males,  the 
nearest  not  farther  away  than  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  paces.  This  time  my  "  nerve  "  forsook  me.  I  slowly 
retreated,  but  stopped  short  when  the  nearest  lion  fol- 
lowed in  dangerously  long  leaps.  When  I  halted  he,  too, 
checked  himself,  crouching  on  the  ground.  I  stood  thus 
for  ten  minutes,  the  nervous  tension  becoming  intense. 
My  only  hope  of  escape  lay  in  the  speedy  arrival  of  my 
men — above  all,  my  rifle-bearers.  At  last  I  heard  their 
voices,  first  distant,  then  nearer  and  nearer.  When  they 
saw  me  and  realized  my  plight,  they  stopped  and  began 
to  tremble  for  their  own  hves.  My  faithful  "  Baruti' 
Boy"  alone  dared  to  come  up  to  me,  bringing  with  him 
my  reserve  rifle.  The  four  Hons,  growling  and  snarhng, 
standing  out  from  the  ground  in  the  light  of  the  setting 
sun,  were  a  sight,  awe-inspiring  and  yet  fascinating  be- 
yond comparison. 

Since  the  lions  were  not  scared  by  the  presence  of 

216 


w 

5 
z 

en 

O 


O 


O 


c 
> 

73 


CO 


217 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

several  men,  I  suspected  them  to  be  hungry  and,  there- 
fore, most  dangerous.  I  slowly  joined  the  natives,  who 
were  waiting  at  a  distance.  In  vain  I  held  a  long 
"schawri"  (meeting).  I  could  not  persuade  them  to  as- 
sist me  in  an  attack  on  the  lions.  I  sent  two  men  to  the 
camp  for  reinforcements.  In  the  mean  time,  I  induced 
my  men  to  proceed  with  me  within  two  hundred  paces 
of  the  nearest  lion,  at  whom  I  discharged  my  rifle.  I 
missed  him.  The  angry  beast  leaped  forward  to  attack 
us,  but  stopped  suddenly,  roared,  turned,  and  ran  in  an 
opposite  direction,  followed  by  the  three  other  lions. 
The  four  lions  were  retreating  two  by  two,  and  I  deter- 
mined to  follow  them  with  my  men.  However  fast  we 
went,  we  did  not  seem  to  get  nearer  to  the  animals.  I 
made  up  my  mind  to  have  at  least  a  shot  at  the  last,  the 
nearest  pair.  The  distance  now  was  about  four  hun- 
dred paces.  I  fired.  It  was  a  chance  shot,  but  it  might 
prove  a  hit.  The  bullet  made  the  earth  fly  about  ten 
paces  behind  the  lions.  One  of  the  lions  apparently  re- 
sented the  shot;  he  stopped,  faced  us,  roared,  and  beat 
the  ground  with  his  tail.  The  other  lion,  too,  faced 
about.  A  second  shot ;  a  third ;  both  were  off  the  mark. 
At  last!  The  fourth  shot  proved  a  hit.  The  nearest 
lion,  wounded,  went  for  us.  After  a  few  leaps,  how- 
ever, he  stopped,  crouching  on  the  ground,  growling 
with  rage. 

My  blood  was  up.     Against  reason  and  common-sense, 
I  rushed  forward  alone,  fired,  and  missed.     The  lion's 

218 


A    LION-HUNT 

blood,  too,  was  aroused,  for  he  bounded  forward  in 
mighty  leaps.  The  critical  moment  was  approaching. 
I  bent  my  right  knee  to  the  ground  so  as  to  steady  my- 
self for  the  final  shot,  which  might  prove  my  very  last 
one,  when  suddenly  the  lion  collapsed.  Now  no  time 
was  to  be  lost.  A  short,  sharp  report;  the  lion  rose  to 
leap,  but  fell  back  lifeless.  I  was  naturally  highly 
elated  over  my  unexpected  success ;  my  blacks  were 
simply  beside  themselves  with  joy.  We  skinned  the 
mighty,  black-maned  "king  of  the  desert."  When  we 
cut  him  open  we  found  that  his  stomach  was  empty; 
that  accounted  for  his  fierceness  and  daring.  When  all 
was  over  we  were  joined  by  the  reinforcements  from  the 
camp.     It  took  three  men  to  carry  the  lion's  skin. 

After  a  march  of  over  two  hours  we  reached  our  camp. 
My  men  had  lost  the  way  in  the  darkness,  a  thing  which 
happens  to  a  native  only  a  few  times  in  a  lifetime.  They 
crowded  up  to  one  another  in  their  fear,  like  sheep,  and 
I  had  to  march  at  the  head  of  the  procession.  We  were 
received  with  open  arms  by  our  men  in  the  catnp.  The 
lion's  skin  was  stretched  to  dry  l:)y  the  camp-fire. 
Four  sentinels  guarded  the  camp  that  night,  for  we 
were  apparently  encamped  in  a  "lions'  plain."  The 
next  morning  I  was  rebaptized,  as  it  were,  by  my 
native  companions.  "  Bwana  Ndege"  (Mr.  Bird),  they 
used  to  call  me,  because  I  had  been  known  best  as  a 
hunter  and  collector  of  birds ;  now  they  christened  me 
"Bwana  Simba"   (Mr.  Lion). 

219 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

I  inscribed  on  the  rifle  furnished  to  me  by  the  master 
gunsmith  Reeb,  in  Bonn,  the  following  words,  "Three 
lions,  January  25,  1897."  This  was  the  luckiest  day  I 
ever  had  in  hunting  lions. 


XX 

FURTHER    ADVENTURES    WITH    LIONS 

IN  the  fall  of  1899  I  had  a  most  exciting  adventure 
with  an  old,  heavily  maned  lion  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Pangani  River.     For  a  few  days  tracks  of  lions  were 
found  by  me  near  our  camp ;  their  roaring,  coming  from 
a  certain  part  of  the  river,  broke  the  stillness  of  the 
night.     I  was  very  anxious  to  catch  a  number  of  striped 
hyenas,  and  had  set'my  traps.     An  old  lion  had  stepped 
into  one  of  them  and  had  torn  it  from  its  chain.     Early 
in  the  morning  I  followed  his  track,  which  led  through 
thorny  bushes.     The  trap  apparently  clung  to  the  lion's 
foot.     Suddenly  I  heard  the  low  growl  of  the  animal 
close  by;  the  next  moment  I  saw  him  running  deeper 
into  the  thicket,  dragging  the  clattering  trap  along  wi-th 
him.     Several  times  I  got  near  enough  to  him,  but  the 
thicket  prevented  me  from  taking  aim  accurately,  and  to 
shoot  at  random  would  have  been  simply  suicidal.      I 
chased  the  lion  for  a  long  time,   hoping  that  he  might 
leave  the  thicket  and  make  for  the  sandy  and  rocky 
steppe.     This  he  finally  did.      I  took  it  for  granted  that 
he  could  not  escap)e  me.     l^ut  he  managed  to  free  him- 

221 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

self  of  the  trap.  He  galloped  away,  and  I  had  had,  so 
far,  my  trouble  for  naught.  Yet  I  refused  to  acknowl- 
edge myself  defeated  in  my  purpose.  With  the  help  of 
my  Wandorobbo  guides  I  succeeded  in  tracing  the 
fleeing  animal  over  the  sandy  and  rocky  steppe.     For 


MY    FIFTH    LIONESS 


half  an  hour  we  followed  the  tracks  without  seeing  the 
lion.  At  last  I  saw  him  ahead  of  us,  running  with  a 
limping  gait.  The  trap  had  weakened  his  paw.  Now  he 
passed  a  grassless  spot  and  turned  his  head  around  to  see 
how  near  we  were  to  him.  This  was  my  chance.  I  took 
aim  with  lightning  rapidity,  fired,  and  the  lion  fell  to  the 


222 


FURTHER   At)V£NtURES    WITH    LIONS 

ground  with  a  low  groan.  For  safety's  sake  I  put  a 
second  bullet  into  him.  The  trophy  was  well  earned. 
We  had  been  following  the  animal  for  six  hours  and 
had  become  thirsty  and  dead  tired.  But  who  is  not 
willing  to  bear  fatigue  and  thirst  and  to  have  his  hands 
and  face  torn  by  thorny  bushes  if  his  efforts  be  rewarded 
as  mine  were  on  that  lucky  day  ?  But  I  was  not  always 
so  lucky;  more  than  once  I  was  sorely  disappointed. 
On  one  occasion  I  followed  the  track  of  a  lion  which 
had  killed  a  half -grown  zebra  at  night  and  was  dragging 
it  over  the  steppe  into  one  of  the  periodic  river-beds  to 
eat  it  up  at  its  leisure.  I  reached  the  high  bank  and  was 
looking  for  a  place  affording  an  easy  descent  into  the 
bed  of  the  river,  when  the  animal — it  was  a  lioness — ■ 
spied  me  and  made  her  escape. 

Another  time,  in  December,  1900,  I  noticed  a  number 
of  vultures  perched  on  the  branches  of  a  leafless  tree. 
Nearing  the  place  I  saw  a  strong-maned  lion.  He  had 
scented  me  and  was  rapidly  trotting  across  a  small 
clearing  at  a  distance  of  about  four  hundred  feet.  I 
flred,  but  missed  the  animal,  who  quickened  his  pace. 
We  tracked  him  without  difficulty,  but  were  led  for  over 
two  hours  in  a  circle  and  crosswise  over  a  comparatively 
small  space  of  ground,  catching  sight  of  the  lion  only 
now  and  then,  but  never  having  a  good  opportunity  of 
firing  a  shot  at  him.  His  tracks  were  criss-crossing  one 
another  so  bewilderingly  that  we  at  last  gave  up  the 
pursuit. 

223 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

I  was  more  fortunate  another  time,  on  November  loth. 
I  was  travelling  with  my  caravan  in  the  steppe,  between 
the  Meruberg  and  the  KiHmanjaro,  and  was  nearing 
a  drinking -place.  Game  of  all  kind — oryx  antelopes, 
zebras.  Grant  gazelles,  and  giraffes— were  crossing  our 
path,  but  I  had  no  intention  of  hunting  them. 

As  usual  I  marched  at  the  head  of  my  caravan,  closely 
followed  by  my  guides  and  rifle-bearers.  Suddenly  one 
of  my  Ndorobbo  guides  called  to  me  in  a  subdued  voice, 
"  Lungatun!"  and  pointed  towards  a  grassy  spot  on  our 
left.  The  black  guide  and  I  advanced  only  to  see  two 
lions,  a  male  and  female,  galloping  away  at  great  speed 
and  disappearing  in  a  thorny  thicket  which  lay  between 
us  and  a  high  elevation  on  our  left.  We  penetrated  into 
the  thicket  and  had  climbed  up  the  rocky  ground,  when 
I  saw,  directly  in  front  of  me,  not  more  than  fifteen 
paces  distant,  a  magnificent  lioness  facing  me  fully  and 
fastening  her  glowing  eyes  on  me.  An  indescribably 
beautiful  sight!  Instinctively,  I  looked  for  the  other 
lion;  then  I  took  aim.  The  same  moment  the  lioness 
leaped  to  one  side,  high  up,  and  disappeared  in  the 
thicket.  I  had  shot  at  her  while  she  was  leaping  and  I 
was  anxiously  awaiting  developments.  She  might  re- 
turn and  attack  me  in  case  I  had  only  wounded  her.  My 
shot,  however,  proved  a  splendid  hit;  we  found  the 
lioness  dead  in  the  thicket.  The  Hon  had  disappeared  in 
the  mean  time. 

Likewise,  in  1900,  I  had  a  thrilling  adventure  with 

224 


o 
z 


z 
o 

z 
o 

o 
z 

> 
z 

> 

in 


IS 


225 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

three  lions  which  might  have  easily  proved  fatal  to  me. 
My  caravan  had  reached  the  foot  of  a  mountain  after  a 
march  of  ten  hours  over  the  dry  steppe.  My  men,  tired 
and  thirsty,  had  pitched  the  camp.  I  left  the  camp  to 
explore  the  neighborhood  armed  only  with  a  shot-gun. 
I  went  along  a  small  brook,  down-stream,  for  about  three 
thousand  feet  when  I  suddenly  noticed  tracks  of  lions. 
Involuntarily,  I  followed  them  and  was  just  about  to 
descend  into  the  dried-up  bed  of  a  periodic  stream — it 
was  then  the  height  of  the  dry  season — when  I  saw,  on 
my  left,  a  lioness  not  more  than  eighty  feet  away  from 
where  I  stood.  The  same  moment  I  observed  two  other 
lions  moving  along  partly  hidden  in  the  grass. 

I  stood  still  as  if  rooted  to  the  ground.  I  was  entirely 
at  the  mercy  of  the  animals,  for  my  shot-gun  was  of  no 
use  to  me  in  this  emergency.  The  situation  was  more 
than  critical;  it  was  desperate.  For  a  few  seconds — 
they  seemed  eternity  to  me — man  and  fehnes  eyed  one 
another.  The  Honess  advanced  to  the  edge  of  the  steep 
bank,  looked  at  me  a  moment,  faced  about,  and  trotted 
towards  the  thicket  followed  by  the  other  lions.  I 
dared  not  move  until  the  animals  had  disappeared  from 
my  sight,  then  with  a  mighty  sigh  of  rehef  I  started  on 
my  retreat  to  the  camp.  I  returned  with  my  rifle,  ac- 
companied by  some  natives,  but  we  could  not  trace  the 
lions.  I  placed,  however,  some  traps  where  I  had  seen 
them  first,  fastening  an  ass,  as  bait,  to  a  near-by  tree. 
Next  morning  I  found  one  of  the  traps  gone.     It  had 

226 


FURTHER  ADVENTURES  WITH  LIONS 

apparently  been  torn  from  its  chain  by  a  trapped  animal 
whose  track  led  into  the  thorny  thicket.  I  followed  it 
and  traced  it  to  a  powerful  lion  who  had  penetrated 
about  three  thousand  feet  into  the  thicket.  I  meant  to 
snap  my  camera  at  him,  but  had  to  drop  it  and  take  up 
miy  rifle  to  ward  off  the  animal  who,  in  spite  of  the 
heavy  iron-trap  clinging  to  his  paw,  attacked  me  vigor- 
ously. A  well-aimed  shot  stretched  him  to  the  ground 
almost  at  my  feet.  The  next  night  we  trapped  two  more 
lions;  after  that  the  traps  remained  empty.  I  have 
reason  to  believe  that  the  three  lions  thus  caught  were 
the  same  with  which  I  had  had  that  memorable  tete-a- 
tete  on  the  bank  of  the  dry  river-bed. 

Never  to  be  forgotten  by  me  are  the  hours  which  I 
spent  in  1899  following  the  track  of  fourteen  lions.  I  had 
never  before  met  such  a  number  of  lions  in  one  troop. 
The  impressions  made  by  the  mighty  paws  of  the  animals 
were  clearly  defined  in  the  fine  dust  which  covered  the 
dry  ground  of  the  steppe,  an  expressive  writing  for  the 
well-trained  eye  of  the  hunter.  There  is  a  strange  fas- 
cination in  following  the  traces  of  wild  beasts  into  the. 
vastnesses  of  the  steppe ;  in  the  case  of  my  tracking  the 
fourteen  lions  this  eagerness  was  alloyed  with  a  goodly 
amount  of  anxiety.  One's  imagination  loves  to  picture 
the  possible  situations  which  the  pursuit  of  the  beasts 
may  bring  about.  So  did  mine  on  that  occasion. 
Having  reached  the  top  of  a  hill,  I  saw  the  lions  rest- 
ing among  the  rocks  in  the  shade  of  some  locust-trees. 

227 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

But,  alas! — or  should  I  not  rather  say  fortunately? — 
the  animals  withdrew  from  sight  as  soon  as  they  had 
become  aware  of  me.  I  often  had  to  register  similar  • 
experiences  that  the  lions  were  so  near  and  yet  too  far. 
The  worst  stroke  of  ill-luck,  from  a  hunter's  point  of 
view,  I  had  was  when  I  failed  to  kill  the  strongest-maned 
lion  I  ever  met  with  in  the  wilderness.  One  day,  while 
stalking  water -bucks,  I  saw  an  animal  hiding  in  the 
bushes.  Soon  I  made  it  out  to  be  a  maned  hon  of  un- 
usual size.  He  had  scented  me  and  galloped  away 
before  I  could  take  good  aim.  The  bullet  I  sent  after 
him  did  not  miss  him  quite,  as  I  could  see  from  the 
bloody  trail.  I  followed  it  for  a  distance,  but  without 
bein^  able  to  overtake  the  wounded  beast.  My  men 
found  the  carcass  of  a  big  lion  a  fortnight  later  not  far 
from  where  I  had  wounded  the  lion.  He  had  worked 
his  way  into  the  heart  of  a  thicket  so  that  even  the 
vultures  could  not  get  at  him.  The  flesh  was  almost 
completely  eaten  up  by  maggots.  I  could  only  save  the 
skull,  the  biggest  in  my  collection.  The  defective  teeth 
showed  me  that  the  Hon  was  well  on  in  years. 

All  in  all,  I  caught  thirty-seven  lions  in  traps  made  by 
Rudolf  Weber.  A  few  strong  beasts  had  dragged  the 
sixty  pounds  of  iron  for  long  distances  an  hour  or  more. 
The  asses  and  cattle  which  I  used  as  bait  had  all  been 
stung  by  the  poisonous  tsetse-fly.  The  quick  bite  of  the 
fehnes  simply  shortened  their  otherwise  slow  and  pain- 
ful death.     The  trapped  and  runaway  lions  had  often 

228 


FURTHER  ADVENTURES  WITH  LIONS 

forced  their  way  so  deep  into  the  thickets  of  reeds  and 
grass  and  thorny  bushes  that  I  had  to  climb  neighboring 
trees  so  as  to  get  a  shot  at  them. 

Once  I  caught  in  traps  a  whole  family  consisting  of 
three  lionesses  and  six  almost  full-grown  whelps.     The 


YOUNG    LION    CAPTURED    BY    MR.     ORGEICH 


first  night  three  were  caught,  the  second  night  four,  and 
the  third  night  two. 

All  the  older  lions  had  managed  to  drag  themselves 
and  the  heavy  traps  some  distance  into  the  reed  thickets 
f  tlie  swam]).  One  of  my  men  almost  stepped  on  a  big 
lioness;  she  had  given  him  no  sign  of  warning.     He  took 

229 


( ) 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

to  his  heels  and  stopped  only  when  he  was  safe  within 
the  camp.  Some  of  the  Wanyamwesi  tribes  feed  on 
the  flesh  of  lions.  They  believe  that  it  imparts  to  them 
strength  and  courage.  The  nine  lions  caught  by  me 
during  those  three  nights  were  consequently  duly 
buried  in  the  stomachs  of  my  Wanyamwesi  men.  After 
the  seventh  lion  had  been  thus  disposed  of,  their  leader 
declared  that  they  were  tired  of  these  "delicatessen" 
and  longed  for  ordinary  game — an  African  case  of  tou- 
jour s  pcrdrix  ! 

I  had  often  wished  to  bring  adult  lions,  caught  in  the 
wilderness,  to  Europe,  and  the  managers  of  the  Berlin 
zoological  gardens  had  placed  portable  cages  at  my  dis- 
posal. But  I  could  not  carry  out  my  intention,  since  it 
was  impossible  to  transport  by  carriers,  from  the  depths 
of  the  wilderness  to  the  coast,  animals  weighing  up  to 
five  hundred  pounds  in  cages  of  three  hundred  pounds. 

The  Romans  stocked  their  cages  with  adult  animals 
caught  in  the  wilderness,  though,  on  the  other  hand,  a 
great  number  of  the  multitude  of  animals  needed  for  the 
arena  were,  no  doubt,  bred  and  raised  in  captivity. 

The  lions  in  our  menageries  and  zoological  gardens 
claimed  to  be  "forest-bred"  were  captured  young  and 
grew  up  in  captivity. 

A  lion  born  in  the  wilderness  but  full  -  grown  in 
captivity  can  give  to  the  visitor  of  zoological  gardens 
only  a  faint  idea  of  what  the  "  king  of  the  desert"  really 
is  in  a  state  of  liberty,  ruling  the  free,  great,  wild  steppe. 

230 


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in 

H 

X 


O 


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M 

D 
H 
M 
O 

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o 

M 
> 

M 

O 

o 
(-■ 

M 

> 


!3I 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

I  can  fully  understand  the  religious  feeling  which 
filled  Goethe's  mind  whenever  he  contemplated  the 
marvels  of  nature.  My  mind,  too,  "  felt  devoutly  hum- 
ble "  when  I  stood  in  the  wilderness  face  to  face  with 
the  powerful  beasts  of  prey,  and  my  soul  was  filled  with 
awe  and  admiration  as  deep  and  as  great  as  that  which 
comes  over  us  when  we  are  tossed  about  by  a  storm  on 
the  high  sea  or  when  we  are  subjected  to  the  fury  of  a 
tropical  thunder-storm. 


XXI 

THE    LEOPARD 

THE  leopard  is,  no  doubt,  the  most  dangerous  and 
most  formidable  beast  of  prey  in  East  Africa.  It 
is  u1:)iquitous,  "everywhere  and  nowhere,"  much  more 
so  than  the  lion.  Leopards  are  often  hunted  and  killed 
by  lions. 

In  spite  of  its  strikingly  colored  and  spotted  fur,  the 
leopard  becomes  often  so  completely  one  with  its  sur- 
roundings that  it  may  be  easily  overlooked  even  when 
one  is  on  the  lookout  for  it  and  passes  it  at  close  range. 

The  leopard  has  no  decided  preference  for  any  special 
locality;  its  haunts  may  be  found  anywhere,  on  rocky 
ground  as  well  as  in  wooded  districts^in  fact,  wherever 
it  finds  sufficient  cover. 

It  easily  climbs  trees,  and  often  hides  during  a  hot 
day  in  their  shady  tops.  To  my  personal  knowledge 
men  were  jumped  on  and  killed  by  beasts  concealed  in 
the  foliage — as  in  the  case  of  a  negro,  for  instance,  who 
was  about  to  climl)  a  mango-tree. 

The  lightning-like  rapidity  with  which  a  leopard 
moves,  charging   or   running   away,  defies   description. 

233 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

Although  these  animals  are  found  in  abundance,  they 
are  seldom  met  with  by  hunters,  as  they  are  cunning 
and  sneaky.  According  to  my  diary,  I  encountered  and 
hunted  the  dangerous  cat  only  twelve  times,  but  the 
meetings  were  as  exciting  as  any  I  had  with  the  wild 
beasts  of  the  wilderness.  This  number  does  not  in- 
clude the  leopards  which  I  caught  in  traps. 

One  of  the  most  blood  -  stirring  adventures  I  had 
with  a  leopard  was  near  Pangani,  when  I  set  out  on  my 
journey  into  the  interior  in  1899.  I  had  gone  back  to 
town,  accompanied  by  but  one  man,  in  order  to  engage 
more  carriers.  Returning  towards  evening  to  my  camp, 
my  attention  was  drawn  to  a  tree  on  which  a  crowd  of 
baboons  were  shrieking  with  all  their  might.  Since 
monkeys  are  preyed  on  by  the  leopard,  I  concluded 
that  the  baboons  were  directing  their  wrath  against  one 
of  the  stealthy  cats  in  a  near-by  thicket.  I  penetrated 
a  few  feet  into  the  jungle,  when  something  ahead  of  me 
began  to  move,  while  the  monkeys  followed  it  in  the 
tops  of  the  trees.  The  thicket  grew  less  dense,  and  I 
soon  found  myself  on  the  edge  of  a  ravine,  when  I  saw, 
about  ninety  feet  away,  a  strong  leopard  dragging  along 
a  half -grown  baboon.  I  raised  my  rifle,  but  before  I 
could  fire  the  beast  had  dropped  the  monkey  and 
escaped  with  a  mighty  leap  into  the  ravine.  I  was 
sorry  to  be  forced  to  desist  from  pursuing  it,  but  I  had 
to  return  to  my  camp. 

I  chanced  several  times  to  come  upon  the  haunts  of 

234 


PI 
o 


> 

z 

o 

> 


235 


WITH    FLASH-LIG.HT    AND    RIFLE 

leopards  unawares  when  looking  for  them  in  the  high 
grass  of  the  steppe. 

Once  I  almost  stepped  on  a  leopard  which  ran  from 
out  the  grass  in  front  of  me,  so  close  that  I  was  too 
frightened  to  fire.  When  I  did  fire,  I  missed;  a  second 
shot  wounded  the  animal  slightly. 

It  is  very  hard  to  hit  a  fleeing  leopard;  it  surely  is 
better  for  the  hunter  to  miss  the  beast  than  merely  to 
wound  it.  A  wounded  leopard  is  a  most  dangerous 
enemy  when  it  turns  and  charges  the  hunter;  its  move- 
ments, quick  as  lightning,  hardly  allow  one  to  take  aim. 
Although  I  knew  this  from  personal  experience,  and 
although  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  shoot  leopards 
only  under  favorable  conditions,  I  always  yielded  to 
the  temptation  whenever  I  got  a  chance  to  shoot. 

On  one  occasion  my  foolhardiness  brought  me  within 
an  inch  of  losing  my  life.  I  noticed  in  the  sand  of  the 
steppe  the  tracks  of  a  leopard  dragging  its  prey.  They 
led  me  to  the  high  bank  of  a  ravine  washed  out  by 
rain.  I  went  all  around  it  and  found  that  the  animal 
had  not  left  it.  Soon  I  made  out  the  leopard  lying 
with  its  prey,  a  small  antelope,  in  a  hole  under  the 
roots  of  a  tree.  But  the  beast  had  noticed  me  also. 
Leaving  its  prey  behind,  the  leopard  tried  to  steal  away; 
at  the  same  moment  I  fired.  A  trail  of  blood  proved 
that  I  had  hit  the  animal  but  nnt  killed  it.  Going 
along  the  high  and  steep  embankment,  I  noticed  the 
beast   cowering,   half    hidden    by  the    roots    of   a  tree. 

236 


> 


2; 

2 

z 
n 

o 


237 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

The  distance  between  iis  was  about  seventy-five  feet. 
What  happened  now  was  enacted  much  more  quickly 
than  it  takes  time  to  describe  it. 

At  the  same  moment  that  I  raised  my  rifle  to  fire  a 
telhng  shot,  the  leopard  leaped  towards  me  quick  as  a 
flash  of  lightning.  I  saw  the  beast  clawing  the  edge  of  the 
ravine  and  almost  touching  my  feet,  and  felt  that  there 
was  no  escape  possible,  and  no  defence  either,  when  the 
leopard  jumped  back  into  the  ravine  as  quickly  as  it 
had  attacked  me.  The  sight  of  my  two  native  com- 
panions, who  put  in  an  appearance  near  me  just  at  that 
moment,  apparently  had  scared  the  animal  as  much  as 
its  sudden  sight  had  staggered  my  men.  Although  I 
did  not  lose  my  presence  of  mind,  I  did  not  have  time 
enough  to  raise  my  rifle  and  to  shoot;  it  all  happened 
in  a  few  seconds.  A  few  minutes  later  a  well  -  aimed 
shot  freed  us  of  all  further  danger. 

Never  shall  I  forget  this  experience;  I  can  even  now 
hear  the  short  snarls  of  the  infuriated  beast.  I  was 
saved  through  no  skill  or  bravery  of  mine,  but  by  mere 
luck. 

Other  hunters  have  had  similar  experiences,  some 
even  more  thrilling  and  marvellous  escapes  than  mine. 
Mr.  Hall,  my  host  at  Fort  Smith,  in  Kikuyu,  told  me 
the  most  blood-curdHng  story  of  adventure  I  ever  lis- 
tened to.  He  had  just  recovered  from  the  conse- 
quences of  an  encounter  with  a  rhinoceros.  He  was 
such  an  inveterate  hunter  that,  although  he  had  not 

238 


THE    LEOPARD 

yet  fully  recovered  his  health,  he  went  out  stalking 
impallah  antelopes  accompanied  by  an  Askari.  He 
met  a  leopard  apparently  bent  on  the  same  errand. 
Mr.  Hall  fired  at  his  competitor,  but  only  wounded  the 
beast.  Quick  as  Hghtning  the  leopard  was  upon  the 
hunter,  burying  its  claws  in  his  flesh.  A  shot  fired  by 
the  courageous  Askari  freed  his  master  of  the  beast. 
Mr.  Hall  was  laid  up  again,  but  soon  recovered.  As 
a  lasting  memento  of  this  narrow  escape,  he  has  a  stiff 
leg,  the  sinews  of  which  were  torn  by  the  leopard. 

Twice  more  I  was  about  to  Jdc  attacked  by  wounded 
leopards,  but  killed  them  before  they  got  too  near. 

The  natives  claim  that  the  leopard  is  a  "man-eater." 
Old  male  leopards  may  become  "  man-eaters  "  when  once 
they  have  discovered  "how  easy  it  is  to  secure  human 
victims,  but  leopards  generally  do  not  indulge  in  steal- 
ing and  eating  human  beings.  Occasionally,  however, 
they  do  attack  them,  chiefly  women  and  children.  Mr. 
von  Gordon,  who  travelled  in  East  Africa  a  few  years 
ago,  together  with  his  brother  and  the  late  Mr.  von 
Tippelskirch,  related  to  me  a  very  interesting  incident. 

They  were  sitting,  one  evening,  at  the  camp-fire  smok- 
ing, when  a  fox-terrier,  resting  only  a  few  feet  away 
from  them,  suddenly  uttered  a  low  cry  and  disappeared 
from  sight.  A  leopard  had  snatched  him  away.  A 
general  hullabaloo  ensued,  shouting  and  shooting,  but 
to  no  avail.  The  dog  was  gone  for  good.  Although 
the  guards  were,  after  this  occurrence,  more  than  usu- 

239 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

ally  watchful,  the  beast  returned  the  very  next  night, 
seized  a  negress,  and  carried  her  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  feet,  but  dropped  her  when  the  guards  fired  at  it. 
The  woman  was  picked  up  dead,  her  throat  having  been 
bitten  through  and  through. 

The  food  of  the  leopard  consists  of  any  mammals  it 
can  overpower.  Its  favorite  diet  are  monkeys,  smaller 
antelopes,  gazelles,  and,  in  mountainous  districts,  also 
dassies  (Procavia).  It  hunts  its  prey  preferably  at 
night,  when  the  antelopes  visit  their  drinking  -  places 
and  the  monkeys  sleep  on  steep  rocks  and  in  trees. 
The  unceasing  bleating  of  antelopes  and  the  intense 
shrieking  of  monkeys  always  indicate  that  their  enemy 
is  attacking  them.  The  big  baboons,  however,  are  well 
able  to  offer  a  stout  resistance,  for  their  incisors  are  as 
sharp  and  longer  than  those  of  the  leopard. 

The  leopard  is  more  l;)loodthirsty,  ferocious,  cunning, 
and  destructive  than  the  lion,  whose  character  is  really 
"noble"  compared  with  the  stealthy,  tricky  ways  of 
the  former.  The  cry  of  the  leopard  is  a  hoarse  grunt. 
It  sometimes  also  sounds  like  a  snarl.  I  have  heard  it 
not  only  at  night,  but  also  in  the  afternoon. 

A  great  many  writers  on  wild  animals  claim  tha:t  the 
leopard  disdains  carrion  and  prefers  live  game,  the 
blood  of  which  it  loves  to  drink.  This  fallacious  state- 
ment has  almost  become  an  axiom,  and  is  freely  copied 
by  compilers  of  natural  histories. 

I  have  caught  about  forty  leopards  in  traps  which 

240 


g 

O 
JO 

o 


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X 

2 

m 
o 

o 

M 

> 
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241 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

were  baited  with  carrion.  Near  these  traps  were  others, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  which  live  animals — goats  and 
asses  —  were  fastened  to  trees  as  bait  for  lions.  The 
leopards  almost  invariably  preferred  the  carrion.  My 
method  of  baiting  for  the  leopard  was  based  on  close 
observation  of  the  habits  of  the  beast.  The  leopard  very 
often  does  not  eat  up  its  prey  completely.  It  first  eats 
the  heart  and  liver.  The  parts  left  over  it  places  up  in 
a  tree  -  fork,  often  very  high  above  the  ground.  This 
peculiarity  of  the  leopard  frequently  furnishes  other 
members  of  its  kind  food  which  they  will  not  reject 
even  in  a  putrid  condition. 

Leopards  are  therefore  best  caught  in  traps  baited 
with  carrion.  I  have  learned  that  my  method  has 
been  adopted  by  many  hunters  who  heard  of  it  from 
my  former  carriers.  Whenever  I  caught  a  leopardess 
I  could  count  on  catching  her  mate  on  one  of  the  fol- 
lowing nights. 

I  have  killed  leopards  which  weighed  one  hundred 
and  forty-five  pounds;  the  females  Aveigh  considerably 
less. 

Even  a  trapped  leopard  is  very  dangerous,  and  must 
be  approached  cautiously.  Should  it  succeed  in  freeing 
itself,  it  would  no  doubt  attack  the  hunter. 

If  the  trap  is  fastened  to  a  tree,  the  captive  will 
climb  up  the  trunk  as  far  as  the  chain  permits;  if  it  be 
anchored  in  the  ground  by  means  of  a  big  stick,  the 
beast  is  apt  to  uproot  it  and  may  escape. 

242 


THE    LEOPARD 

At  one  time,  in  1902,  an  animal,  which  proved  to  be 
a  strong  adult  leopard,  had  been  caught  in  a  trap  near 
the  Pangani  River,  and  had  made  its  escape,  dragging 
trap,  chain,  and  anchor  after  it  into  a  reed  thicket. 
Captain  Merker  and  I,  with  a  few  courageous  natives, 
entered  the  thicket,  the  natives  pushing  the  reeds  aside 
with  long  poles,  and  the  captain  and  I  on  the  qui  vive 
with  cocked  rifles. 

The  heat  in  the  thicket  was  almost  suffocating,  and 
we  made  slow  headway.  Suddenly  we  heard  the  rat- 
tling of  iron  and  a  deep  growl.  The  animal  could  not 
be  far  from  us;  but  where?  The  dry,  hard  ground  did 
not  show  any  traces  of  it.  For  some  time  we  advanced, 
guided  only  by  the  noise  of  chain  and  animal.  We 
thought  for  a  while  it  might  be  a  lion,  and  the  natives 
with  us  were  absolutely  certain  they  had  seen  glimpses 
of  a  maned  lion.  At  last  we  decided  to  give  up  the 
pursuit.  We  did  not  seem  to  get  any  nearer  to  the 
growling  beast,  and  the  thicket  did  not  grow  less  dense. 
We  fired,  however,  at  random  in  the  direction  from 
where  the  sounds  came.  We  spent  a  great  deal  of- 
ammunition,  not  knowing  whether  any  of  our  shots 
took  effect.  After  a  while  the  growling  stopped,  and 
we  ceased  firing.  Had  the  animal  escaped  out  of  hear- 
ing or  was  it  killed  by  a  chance  shot  ?  Agam  we  pro- 
ceeded, with  the  help  of  our  natives,  who  beat  down 
the  reeds  while  Captain  Merker  and  I  followed.  Ad- 
vancing inch  by  inch,  slowly  but  surely,  we  came  to  a 

243 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

bowl  -  like  depression  in  the  ground,  apparently  made 
by  hippopotami,  and  in  it  lay  our  fugitive,  a  fine 
specimen  of  an  adult  leopard.  This  hunting  adventure 
taught  me,  among  other  things,  not  to  place  too  much 
faith  in  statements  made  by  natives.  Our  men  were 
absolutely  sure  that  the  animal  we  pursued  was  a  lion, 
and  a  thickly  maned  one  at  that. 

I  cannot  say  anything  about  the  hunting- leopard 
{Cynceliiriis  giUtatiis,  Herm.)  from  my  own  experience. 
It  is  a  rare  animal  in  the  Masai  land,  and  I  caught  sight 
of  only  two  specimens. 

But  the  cunning  leopard,  called  "chin"  by  the  Was- 
wahili,  "ol  ugaru  geri"  by  the  Masai,  and  "mellilta" 
by  the  Wandorobbo,  roves  in  untold  numbers  nightly 
over  the  vast  Nyika,  and  will  do  so  long  after  the  strong 
lion  has  ceased  to  exist. 


XXII 

HUNTING-DOGS,  LYNXES,  CATS,  AND    OTHERS 

ONE  of  the  most  \dvi(;l  recollections  of  scenes  from 
animal  life  in  Africa,  which  crowd  my  memory, 
is  that  of  the  fleet  hunting-dogs  chasing  their  prey. 
Like  phantoms  they  appeared  in  the  wild  steppe,  near 
the  paths  of  caravans,  near  the  coast,  and  in  the  reed 
thickets  of  the  rivers,  running  after  their  prey  in  long 
leaps,  three  or  four,  on  its  very  heels,  others  beside  and 
behind  to  intercept  it  should  the  victim  turn  their  way. 
Like  a  flash  they  came  and  went  before  one  had  time 
to  recover  from  the  surprise. 

I  met  with  the  wild  dog  (Lycaon  pidiis)  but  rarely  in 
the  parts  of  German  East  Africa  through  which  I  trav- 
elled. I  am  told  that  it  is  just  as  rare  an  animal  in 
British  East  Africa.  The  wild  honde,  as  the  Dutch 
call  the  hunting-dog,  preys  on  ah  kinds  of  game,  e\'en 
the  larger  antelopes.  Near  the  railroad  station,  Kor- 
rogave,  I  saw  a  few  chasing  a  water-buck.  Once  I  ob- 
served a  pack  of  fourteen  galloping  behind  an  eland 
antelope. 

Another  time,  in   1899,  when  following  the  tracks  of 

245 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

a  wounded  bull  eland  antelope,  I  chanced  to  come  on 
a  pack  of  hunting -dogs  resting  in  the  shade  of  an  acacia. 
The  dogs  scattered  in  all  directions,  but  soon  gathered 
again  and  barked  at  me. 

Their  barking  sounded  like,  "  Wa  wau  wau,  wa  wau, 
wa  wau,"  uttered  in  regular,  short  cadences  by  all  the 


PRINCE     LOEWENSTEIN   S     CAMP 


dogs  in  unison,  while  they  alternately  approached  and 
retreated  in  the  manner  of  shy,  tame  dogs.  I  was  so 
fascinated  by  this  sight  that  I  refrained  from  shooting 
and  kept  absolutely  quiet.  After  they  had  kept  up 
this  play  for  about  ten  minutes,  some  of  the  dogs  whose 
curiosity  seemed  to  be  satisfied  sneaked  away.  Not  to 
lose  my  chance,  I  fired  with  my  double-barrelled  rifle 
and  secured  two  specimens ;  the  rest  fled  with  lightning- 
like speed. 

We  can  easily  judge  of  their  speed  by  comparison. 
J.  G.  Millais  tells  us,  in  A  Breath  from  the  Veldt,  that  in 

246 


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247 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

the  good  old  time  a  well  -  mounted  hunter  could  ride 
down  a  roan  antelope  after  four  miles,  a  water -buck 
after  three,  an  old  bull  koodoo  after  two  miles,  but 
rarely  ever  a  sable  antelope  and  a  gnu.  All  these 
animals  are  hunted  by  the  wild  dog  (Lycaon  pictus). 

The  wild  dogs  follow  their  prey  by  scent,  not  by  their 
tracks;  they  also  attack  them  at  sight.  Big  antelopes 
they  bring  down  by  jumping  at  their  bellies  and  tear- 
ing out  their  entrails,  as  I  had  twice  occasion  to  ob- 
serve. 

Although  their  coat  is  many-colored,  the  wild  dogs, 
at  a  certain  distance,  look  merely  dark;  they  therefore 
do  not  blend  with  their  surroundings,  but  stand  out 
from  them.  Since  they  are  fleet  to  escape  and  quick 
to  attack  at  sight,  they  are  not  so  much  in  need  of 
keeping  out  of  sight  of  their  enemies  or  their  prey. 

The  Lycaon  pictus  is  not  numerous  in  the  Masai  dis- 
tricts. Once  I  found,  at  noon,  five  dogs,  another  time 
two  resting  in  the  shade  of  bushes.  On  another  occa- 
sion I  happened  to  come  upon  a  pack  of  them  chasing 
and  catching  a  giraffe  gazelle  (Lithocramus  walleri). 
The  rareness  of  the  hunting-dog  can  easily  be  accounted 
for  by  the  comparative  scarceness  of  the  game. 

The  wild  honde  is  extraordinarily  fierce  in  captivity, 
prone  to  bite,  and  shows  a  marked  dislike  to  our  tame 
dogs.  I  do  not  think  that  breeding  the  wild  dog  with 
the  tame  will  produce  an  animal  which  would  be  of 
use   to    the    hunter    in    tropical   East  Africa,  however 

248 


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249 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

interesting    it    might    be    from    a    scientific    point    of 
view. 

Among  the  other  smaller  beasts  of  prey  we  find  a 
number  of  w^ld-cats  and  lynxes.  Still  more  abundant 
than  the  leopard  is  the  serval  (Felts  serval  Schreb),  a 
feline,  the  yellow  fur  of  -which  is  covered  with  black 
spots.  This  wild-cat  appears  to  frequent  long  grass, 
reeds,  and  bushes,  especially  in  the  neighborhood  of 
small  streams  and  rivers.  It  is  strictly  nocturnal  in  its 
habits.  I  met  it  very  seldom  in  the  daytime — and  then 
only  by  chance  —  while  I  caught  a  great  number  in 
traps,  among  them  a  much-desired,  completely  black 
variety. 

While  hunting  elephants  on  the  western  side  of  the  Kil- 
imanjaro, I  saw,  again  and  again,  a  shy  black  cat.  From 
my  stand  I  could  often  see  it  far  below  me  jumping 
gracefully  over  the  dew-laden  grasses  and  the  branches 
which  blocked  its  way;  but  before  I  could  take  aim 
it  always  disappeared  into  the  thicket.  For  many  nights 
it  avoided  the  traps  I  set  to  catch  it.  One  morning, 
however,  my  taxidermist  surprised  me  with  the  welcome 
news,  "We  have  got  her."  Saying  this  he  held  out  to 
me  a  fine  melanistic  serval.  She  appeared  to  be  uni- 
formly black,  but,  holding  her  against  the  light,  I  could 
see  the  darker  spots  shining  through.  Next  morning 
we  found  in  the  same  trap  a  normally  colored  male 
serval,  her  mate,  no  doubt.  It  had  long  been  my  wish 
to  catch  a  black  serval ;  at  last  it  was  fulfilled. 

250 


HUNTING-DOGS,    LYNXES,    CATS,    AND    OTHERS 

During  the  days  which  I  spent  in  the  mountain  wilder- 
ness watching  the  elephants,  I  was  in  closer  communion 
with  nature,  which  is  there  both  wild  and  beautiful. 
From  my  high  stand,  way  up  in  the  solitude  of  the 
cloud-covered  world  of  mountains,  I  daily  looked  for 
hours  into  the  broad  valleys  filled  with  a  luxuriant  vege- 
tation, spying  with  my  field-glass  for  the  giant  mam- 
mals and  other  animals,  the  solemn  stillness  broken 
only  now  and  then  by  the  cries  of  birds  or  beasts.  It 
was  a  unique  scene,  grand  and  poetic,  a  picture  of  pre- 
historic times :  before  me  in  gloomy  majesty  the  glacier 
world  of  the  gigantic  volcano,  deep  down  in  the  val- 
ley elephants  and  giraffes  reaching  into  our  time  like 
the  ruins  of  a  by-gone  age.  .  .  ! 

On  the  plains  of  the  steppe  I  met,  though  very  rarely, 
the  gray  wild-cat  (Felis  afj.  lyhica).  In  all  I  shot  four 
specimens  and  caught  a  few  more  in  traps.  It  resem- 
bles very  much  our  own  cat — is  long-tailed  and  shy. 

I  happened  also  to  come  across  the  East  African 
representative  of  the  lynx  family,  the  caracal  {Caracal 
jiitlncHs),  several  times.  Once  I  was  watching  pygmy 
antelopes  (Madogua  kirki)  when  I  saw,  not  more  than 
sixty  feet  from  me,  a  lynx  looking  out  for  the  same 
game.  It  is  a  rare  chance  to  meet  this  animal  in  day- 
time, for  it  comes  out  of  the  bush  chiefly  at  night.  I 
did  not  mean  to  let  my  chance  slip  and  shot  it  on  the 
spot. 

Another  time,  in  March,  I  was  still  more  fortunate. 

251 


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252 


HUNTING-DOGS,    LYNXES,    CATS,   AND    OTHERS 

Not  far  from  my  camp  I  had  noticed  about  sixty-four 
ostriches.  As  they  were  moulting,  I  merely  observed 
them  with  my  field-glass.  One  day,  however,  I  could 
not  resist  the  temptation,  and  decided  to  shoot  a  male 
bird,  which  I  meant  to  present  to  the  royal  museum 
in  Berlin.  I  singled  out  one,  and,  approaching  within 
six  hundred  feet,  fired.  The  bird  flapped  its  wings  and 
fell.  The  same  moment  something  began  to  move  with- 
in the  bush  which  served  me  as  cover.  I  was  startled 
and  also  considerably  scared,  for  I  thought  I  had  dis- 
turbed the  most  dangerous  of  felines,  a  leopard,  in  its 
lair.  It  was,  however,  a  lynx  which  tried  to  escape, 
but  which  fell  a  victim  to  the  second  bullet  of  my  double- 
barrelled  rifle.  This  was  luck,  indeed,  a  fine  double 
shot,  an  ostrich  and  a  lynx! 

No  doubt  the  Caracal  nnhicus  is  comparatively  rare 
in  East  Africa,  rarer  at  all  events  than  in  the  North  and 
South. 

The  genets,  small  and  slender  felines,  are  also  but 
rarely  met  with  in  the  daytime.  I  found  and  shot  one 
hiding  in  a  strange  place  —  namely,  under  the  eaves  of 
the  house  of  a  Greek  merchant  in  Moschi.  Near  the 
Kilimanjaro  I  discovered  some  black  specimens  of  these 
small  felines. 

All  these  small  beasts  of  prey,  like  the  genet,  the 
civet,  the  ratel,  the  mongoose,  and  others,  are  seldom 
seen  abroad  in  the  daytime,  as  their  habits  are  noc- 
turnal. 

253 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

I  have  seen  only  two  specimens  of  the  fish-otter  near 
the  Kingani ;  near  the  Victoria  Lake  I  could  secure  furs 
only  from  the  natives. 

All  these  comparatively  small  beasts  easily  escape 
our  notice  in  the  wilderness  of  Africa,  and  this  is  not 


THE    LAFITTE    HILLS 


to  be  wondered  at.  To  meet  them  all  and'  study  their 
ways  is  the  task  of  a  lifetime.  In  our  own  well-popu- 
lated country,  we  do  not  find  it  easy  to  get  even  a 
passing  glimpse  of  the  marten,  the  iltis,  the  wild-cat, 
the  otter,  and  the  fox.  In  Africa  their  cousins  may  be 
more  numerous,  but  then  they  have  a  large  field  and 
inaccessible  hiding-jDlaces. 


XXIII 

EARTH-HOGS,    PORCUPINES,    WILD    HOGS,    AND    SMALLER 

MAMMALS 

THE  traveller  never  sees  two  of  the  strangest  in- 
habitants of  the  steppe,  the  earth-hog  {Orycteropiis 
wertheri)  and  the  porcupine  {Hystrix  Africce-Australis), 
unless  he  takes  the  trouble  to  dig  for  them,  or  is  favored 
by  good-fortune. 

Mr.  Jackson,  who  can  speak  with  authority  on  the 
African  fauna,  said  laconically,  when  discussing  with 
me  the  porcupine,  "Never  seen,"  and  yet  he  had  spent 
ten  years  in  East  Africa  studying  the  Hfe  of  the  wild 
animals. 

The  explanation  is  a  simple  one.  The  habits  of  the 
porcupine  are  absolutely  nocturnal.  It  spends  the  day 
in  caves  in  the  earth,  from  which  it  only  issues  at  night, 
and  into  which  it  retreats  before  dawn.  I  found  plenty 
of  quills,  but  never  saw  the  animal  itself  at  large.  A 
few  specimens  I  secured  from  natives,  who  had  dug 
them  out  of  their  burrows. 

During  the  rainy  season  the  high  and  extraordinari- 
ly large  termite-hills  are  visited  at  night  by  a  strange 

255 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

animal  which  spends  its  days  underground.  It  is  a 
grotesquely  formed  creature;  it  has,  as  Professor  Mat-, 
schie  says,  the  snout  of  a  pig,  the  head  of  an  ant-bear, 
the  ears  of  an  ass,  the  legs  of  an  armadillo,  and  the  body 
of  a  kangaroo — a  kind  of  a  composite  animal  such  as 
the  imagination  of  fanciful  artists,  painters,  and  writers 
may  conceive.  With  its  long  tail  and  its  sharp  claws, 
it  beats  and  tears  to  pieces  the  ant-hills,  and  with  its 
long  and  sticky  tongue  it  collects  myriads  of  ants  and 
swallows  them. 

I  was  very  anxious  to  take  flash-light  pictures  of  this 
strange  animal,  but  soon  gave  up  all  hope  of  success. 
During  the  dry  season  the  "  aard-vark,"  as  the  Dutch 
colonists  call  the  earth-hog,  sleeps  in  the  remote  recesses 
of  its  ramified  burrow,  and  it  is  impossible  to  capture 
it  there  by  trapping  it  or  digging  for  it.  Only  during 
the  wet  nights  of  the  rainy  season  does  it  issue  into  the 
steppe  to  feed  on  termites. 

The  earths  or  burrows,  which  are  often  very  deep 
and  wide-spreading,  are  a  constant  danger  to  hunters, 
as  the  openings  are  frequently  concealed  beneath 
bushes  and  are  then  difficult  to  avoid.  Often  I  sud- 
denly felt  myself  sinking  into  the  ground  up  to  my 
waist. 

I  never  succeeded  in  even  seeing  the  earth-hog  in  a 
state  of  liberty,  but  I  acquired  a  few  skins  and  skeletons 
from  the  natives  and  brought  them  to  Germany,  where 
there  were  only  a  few  mounted  specimens.     Captain 

256 


EARTH-HOGS,    PORCUPINES,    WILD    HOGS,   ETC 

Waldemar  Werthor  had  been  the  first  to  furnish  speci- 
mens of  this  animal. 

Twice  only  I  saw  in  the  steppe  the  beautiful  black- 
and-white  ratel  {Mellivora  ratel  Sparrm.),  which  is  very 
rarely  met  with,  as  its  habits  are  nocturnal.  It  is  easily 
caught  in  traps  baited  with  carrion. 

Now  and  then  one  meets  in  the  steppe  a  fleet,  slender, 
foxlike  animal  with  enormous  ears,  the  Otocyon  me- 
galotis  Desm.  It  is  nocturnal  in  its  habits,  and  feeds 
chiefiy  on  insects,  beetles  and  termites  furnishing  the 
bulk  of  its  nourishment.  Once,  in  July,  I  noticed  a 
whole  family,  about  ten  in  all,  near  one  of  their  sub- 
terranean habitations. 

Every  traveller  who  is  at  all  observant  cannot  fail 
to  meet  in  the  Masai  Steppe,  graceful,  marten -like  ani- 
mals, the  mongoose  (Herpestes) .  There  are  several  spe- 
cies of  them,  different  in  color  and  size,  varying  from  a 
good-sized  weasel  to  a  full-grown  cat.  They  are  often 
found  living  in  ant-hills  together  with  the  ground-squir- 
rels. The  mongoose  is  social  in  its  habits,  and  often 
herds  of  these  animals  ravage  the  steppe,  devouring 
everything  eatable,  plants  as  well  as  animals.  In  its 
rapid  movements  a  string  of  mongoose  often  resembles 
a  big,  moving  snake.  To  watch  these  agile  animals 
affords  a  great  deal  of  amusement.  When  they  sus- 
pect danger  they  all  run  for  home,  that  is,  the  termite- 
hill,  and  keep  in  hiding  for  hours.  But  by-and-by,  first 
one,  then  a  second,  and  finally,  all  poke  their  noses  out 
x7  257 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

of  their  little  holes,  venture  out  of  and  about  their 
stronghold,  leaping  and  .skipping,  running  in  and  out 
as  if  playing  hide-and-seek. 

The  ground-squirrel,  living  singly  or  in  pairs,  often 
chooses  the  termite-hills  for  its  habitation,  but  usually 
lives  in  burrows  under  the  ground.  In  their  company, 
and  in  that  of  the  mongoose,  the  dassy  (Procavia),  too, 
is  found  as  an  inhabitant  of  the  ant-hills,  although  its 
true  habitats  are  the  rocky  hills  and  mountains.  The 
dassy  lives  during  the  rainy  season  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  often  in  large  families  in  the  crannies  and 
cracks  in  the  rocks,  and  during  the  dry  season  climbs 
up  to  the  high  plateaus  and  the  mountains.  This  small 
animal,  together  with  the  Dendrohyrax,  the  tree-dassy, 
is  the  nearest  relation  of  the  bulky  rhinoceros,  a  fact 
which  no  doubt  astonishes  the  layman. 

There  are  three  species  of  rock-dassies  and  two  of 
tree  -  dassies  found  in  German  East  Africa,  and  the 
presence  of  these  pygmy  ungulates  enlivens  the  virgin 
forests  and  the  rocky  deserts.  They  are  exceedingly 
shy,  and  remind  one  in  many  ways  of  the  mar- 
mots. 

The  peculiar  cry  and  the  burring  noise  of  the  tree- 
dassy  can  often  be  heard  in  the  forests  of  the  Kili- 
manjaro. In  the  early  evening,  after  the  camp-fires 
are  lit,  we  can  see  them  running  about  in  the  trees 
like  woodland  sprites,  and  all  night  we  can  hear  their 
clucking  noise  in  the  branches  of  the  beroelia  and  ster- 

258 


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259 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

kulia  trees,  until  the  cloot,  doot,  doot — doo,  doo,  doo; 
doot,  doot — doo,  doo,  of  the  "  tippii-tippii "  {Centrophus 
siiperciliospz)  announces  the  break  of  day.  One  sees 
the  tree-dassies  often  also  in  the  daytime. 

The  solemn  virgin  forests,  through  the  thick  foliage 
of  which  the  sunlight  barely  penetrates,  is  not  devoid 
of  animal  life.  In  the  twilight  of  the  woods  we  see 
suddenly  rise  before  us  the  beautiful  Francolinus  bird. 
Warned  by  its  cry,  the  rabbit-like  animals  run  up  the 
trunks  of  the  primeval  Jnniperus  procera  and  other 
gigantic  trees  to  disappear  in  the  holes  and  cracks  of 
the  big  branches.  They  are  tree-dassies,  the  "pelele" 
of  the  natives,  who  hunt  these  animals  to  gain  their 
soft  fur  which  they  work  into  cloaks,  or  sell  to  the 
European  traders  in  order  to  be  able  to  pay  the  hut- 
taxes  levied  by  the  colonial  government.  In  order  to 
pay  the  taxes  the  natives  are  often  forced  to  kill  game 
far  beyond  their  personal  need.  They  also  hunt  the 
animals  of  the  wilderness  in  the  employ  of  European 
merchants,  who  carry  on  a  profitable  trade  in  furs  and 
skins. 

To  what  extent  skins  are  made  an  article  of  trade,  I 
had  occasion  to  observe  in  the  great  emporiums  of  Aden 
and  Marseilles,  where  I  saw  thousands  of  bales  consist- 
ing of  antelope-skins  forming  part  of  the  cargo  of  the 
big  steamers.  The  English  government  has  somewhat 
restricted  the  trade  in  antelope-horns,  by  putting  a  heavy 
export  tax  on  them,  but  hundreds  of  thousands  of  ante- 

260 


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lope  -  skins  are  exported  unchecked,  fraudulently  de- 
clared as  cattle-hides. 

The  interests  of  commerce  and  the  laws  for  the  pro- 
tection of  wild  game  clash  irreconcilably.  The  small 
furs  of  the  "pelele"  and  of  certain  monkeys  have  also 
become  articles  of  trade,  and  the  number  of  these  harm- 
less animals  is  decreasing  correspondingly  with  the  de- 
mand for  their  skins.  It  is  thus  the  merchant,  not  the 
sportsman,  and  collector,  who  is  responsible  for  the 
devastations  wrought  in  the  fauna  of  Africa.  Even 
the  mere  hunter  does  not  kill  simply  to  kill,  but  for  the 
sport  of  it.  His  trophies  hardly  count  when  compared 
with  the  results  of  systematic  slaughter  perpetrated  in 
the  name  of  commerce,  of  progress,  and  civilization. 

While  North  Africa,  the  coast  lands  of  which  zoo- 
geographically  belong  to  the  Mediterranean  zone,  is  the 
home  of  a  wild  hog  resembling  our  own  wild,  black  hogs, 
in  the  countries  south  of  the  Sahara  are  found  several 
other  species  of  wild  hogs,  one  near  rivers  and  in  the 
more  settled  parts  of  East  Africa,  another  in  the  vast 
Masai  districts.  The  latter,  the  wart-hog,  is  phenome- 
nally ugly,  as  its  name  implies,  having  a  number  of  big 
warts  and  cutaneous  protuberances  about  its  head.  The 
wart-hog  (Phacochccriis  Mthiopiciis)  is  not  uncommon 
near  the  Kilimanjaro.  To  hunt  a  strong,  full-grown 
boar  is  both  exciting  and  profitable  to  a  plucky  sports- 
man, for  his  tusks  are  valuable  trophies.  The  wild  hog 
does  a  great  deal  of  damage  to  plantations  and  fields, 

262 


EARTH-HOGS.    PORCUPINES,    WILD    HOGS,   ETC. 

rooting  and  eating  the  fruits  at  night-time.  It  ean 
often  also  be  seen  in  the  open  plains  digging  with  its 
long  tusks  for  edible  roots. 

While  its  eyes  are  weak,  its  hearing  and  sense  of  smell 
are  keen.  Old  boars  fleeing  through  the  high  grass  or 
through  thickets  have  often  been  mistaken  for  lions 
by  my  natives.  The  bristles  on  their  back,  often  over 
twelve  inches  long,  seen  from  a  distance,  really  vsuggest 
a  lion's  mane. 

The  wart-hog  is  usually  found  in  the  open  country, 
and  never  very  far  from  water,  but  sometimes  it  will 
also  make  its  home  in  the  burrows  of  the  "aard-vark," 
several  often  inhabiting  the  same  burrow.  Wounded 
wart-hogs  are  apt  to  turn  on  the  hunters  and  may  be- 
come dangerous,  their  lower  tushes  being  provided  with 
edges.  The  wart-hog  is,  as  a  rule,  seen  in  small  families, 
and  manages  very  well  to  keep  out  of  sight  of  pursuers. 
Our  own  wild  hogs  have  succeeded  in  surviving  constant 
hunting  in  densely  settled  countries,  and  there  is  no 
reason  why  the  wild  hogs  of  Africa  should  not  have  a 
long  lease  of  life. 

While  I  am  writing  these  lines  I  am  informed  of  the 
discovery  of  a  species  of  the  wild  hog  hitherto  unknown 
in  East  Africa,  which  may  be  classed  between  the  two 
kinds  I  have  mentioned. 

This  goes  to  show  how  little  known  the  fauna  of  the 
"Dark  Continent"  still  is  to  us. 


XXIV 

HYENAS    AND    JACKALS 

WHILE  the  striped  hyena  is  found  only  in  certain 
localities  in  East  Africa,  the  spotted  species 
(Hycuna  crocuta)  is  generally  in  evidence.  Together 
with  the  vultures  and  marabous,  the  hyenas  are  the 
scavengers  of  this  vast  country;  as  a  rule  they  do 
away  with  the  carcasses  of  the  big  mammals,  and  also 
with  the  dead  human  bodies,  before  the  process  of  de- 
cay has  a  chance  to  start. 

The  hyenas  roam  over  the  length  and  breadth  of 
Africa  south  of  the  Sahara,  following  the  other  animals 
as  they  change  their  habitat  according  to  the  seasons. 
Their  presence  can  also  be  counted  on  wherever  human 
beings  fall  victims  to  famine  or  war.  They  also  fre- 
quently treat  themselves  to  the  remnants  of  game  left 
by  the  big  beasts  of  prey,  the  lion  and  the  leopard ;  the 
"fissi"  are  very  keen  in  scenting  these  leavings.  The 
hyenas  are  marvellously  quick  in  disposing  of  the  big- 
gest carcasses;  their  appetite  is  simply  boundless.  They 
gulp  down  large  pieces  of  flesh  and  big  bones,,  which 
they  grind  with  their  strong  teeth. 

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HYENAS    AND    JACKALS 

Their  habits  are  nocturnal.  They  dislike  the  heat 
of  the  day,  and  cannot  stand  it  well,  as  I  had  occasion 
to  observe  when  I  took  some  with  me  on  my  return  to 
the  coast ;  they  could  hardly  keep  pace  with  the  caravan 
on  its  march  through  the  sunny  steppe.     On  cloudy 


VULTURES    NEAR    THE    CAMP 


days  they  may  be  seen  abroad  even  in  the  late  afternoon, 
1  )ut  commonly  they  spend  the  day  in  the  shade  of  bushes, 
in  holes,  caves,  and  under  rocks,  sallying  forth  only  at 
night  singly,  in  pairs,  or  in  small  troops  in  search  of 
food . 

Several  times  in  the  spring  I  found  young  hyenas  in 
litters  of  three  or  four.     The  old  hyenas  bring  i)art  of 

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their  food  to  their  holes  for  the  young.  This  food  is 
often  shared  by  vultures  of  different  kinds,  who  fear- 
lessly walk  among  the  old  and  young  hyenas,  as  if  they 
belonged  to  the  family.  It  is,  indeed,  remarkable  to  see, 
as  I  often  have  seen  in  the  daytime,  hyenas,  jackals,  and 
hundreds  of  vultures  and  marabous  assembled  about 
the  carcass  of  big  animals  without  fear  of  one  another, 
each  bent  on  getting  its  fill  of  carrion.  The  jackals 
and  hyenas  attack  the  belly  and  eat  their  way  into  its 
cavity.  Once  I  saw  five  hyenas  running  out  of  the 
body  of  a  dead  elephant  which  had  been  killed  by  a 
professional  hunter. 

I  have  often  heard  their  hideous  howl  as  they  prowled 
around  my  camp  at  night-time.  They  frequently  vent- 
ured within  to  carry  off  meat  and  whatever  they  could 
seize — skins,  pieces  of  leather,  etc. 

My  pictures  of  hyenas,  taken  at  night,  show  how 
greedily  they  seize  upon  carrion  bait.  Their  strength 
is  remarkable,  as  is  proven  by  my  picture  depicting 
a  spotted  hyena  taking  hold  of  and  dragging  away  a 
dead  ass.  R.  Boehm  tells  us  that  he  has  seen  hyenas 
carrying  off  the  dead  bodies  of  human  beings.  Re- 
markable are  the  cunning  and  the  cowardice  of  the 
hyena,  making  it  very  difficult  to  kill  or  to  photograph 
the  animal  by  baiting  for  it.  Its  senses  of  scent  and 
hearing  are  so  acute  that  it  will  not  approach  carrion 
until  reasonably  sure  that  no  enemy  is  hiding  near  by. 

The   body,    shoulders,    and   haunches    of   the   young 

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hyena  are  covered  with  spots  of  a  dark  color  varying 
considerably  in  arrangement  and  distinctness,  and  the 
older  the  animals  grow  the  more  uniform  the  coloring 
becomes.     One  often  finds  mangy  specimens. 

The  behavior  of  the  "fissi"  of  the  Waswahili,  "iwiti" 
of  the  Wanyamwesi,  "ol  egodjine"  of  the  Masai,  and 
"arvijet"  of  the  Wandorobbo  is  different  in  various 
localities  and  under  other  circumstances.  In  one  place 
it  is  shy  and  is  satisfied  with  carrion  and  leavings, 
in  another  it  is  daring  and  attacks  and  carries  off  ani- 
mals and  young  children.  I  have  lost  in  this  way  quite 
a  few  asses,  especially  on  dark,  rainy  nights. 

Up  to  1899  it  was  a  mooted  question  whether  any 
striped  hyenas  {Hyccna  striata)  existed  in  British  and 
German  East  Africa.  Even  Professor  Matschie  was  of 
the  opinion  that  if  there  did  exist  a  striped  variety  in 
these  parts  it  must  be  a  new  species,  different  from  the 
HycEna  striata  of  the  other  parts  of  Africa.  Oscar 
Neumann,  the  well-known  zoologist,  who  spent  three 
years  in  East  Africa,  believed  that  the  spotted  hyena 
could  be  found  there  only. 

One  evening,  in  the  fall  of  1896,  while  camping  on 
the  shore  of  the  natron  lake  between  the  Kilimanjaro 
and  the  Victoria  Nyanza,  I  baited  a  trap  with  a 
heron.  The  next  morning  we  found  a  striped  hyena 
caught  in  the  iron.  Alfred  Kaiser,  who  had  lived  for 
years  near  the  Sinai  mountain,  immediately  declared 
that  it  was  identical  with  the  Arabian  striped    hyena. 

268 


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How  it  differed  from  it  in  minor  points  we  could  not 
determine  then  and  there,  because  we  had  no  Arabian 
specimens  for  comparison.  I  could  not  send  the  ani- 
mal  to  Europe,  and  my  claim  to  have  found  the  Hycsna 
striata  represented  in  East  Africa  was  not  considered 
as  fully  established. 

It  was  declared  that  the  absolute  scientific  proof  was 
still  lacking.  I  then  baited  my  traps  systematically  for 
this  species,  and  I  succeeded  in  collecting  sixty-six  skins 
and  skulls,  and  also  some  complete  skeletons,  and  de- 
spatched them  to  Europe.  All  doubts  and  objections 
were  now  removed.  I  was  overjoyed  when  a  letter 
from  Professor  Matschie  informed  me  that  this  hyena 
had  been  classified  as  Hycuna  Schillingsi  liltsch.  All  this 
goes  to  show  how  difficult  it  is  to  investigate  the  fauna 
of  a  new  country,  and  to  prove  beyond  a  reasonable 
doubt  the  existence  of  many  new  species.  One  might 
think  that  this  should  have  been  easy  with  an  animal 
like  the  hyena,  which  goes  out  hunting  every  night, 
and  which  was  apparently  well  known  to  natives.  But 
to  believe  there  is,  and  to  prove  there  is,  such  and  such 
a  species  in  a  given  place,  are  two  very  different  propo- 
sitions. For  instance,  the  later  -  discovered  okapi  in 
West  Africa  has  never  come  under  the  personal  ob- 
servation of  Stuhlman,  who  spent  a  long  time  at  the 
Semliki;  so,  also,  some  species  of  antelopes,  like  the 
Damaliscus  huntert,  the  Tragelaphiis  euryceros,  and 
others,  have  become  known  to  us  only  of  late. 

270 


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WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

The  English  work  on  Great  and  Small  Game  in  Africa, 
which  appeared  in  1899,  mentions  only  Somaliland  as 
the  habitat  of  the  striped  hyena. 

How  is  it  possible,  one  may  ask,  that  animals  ap- 
parently numerous  are  met  w^th  so  rarely?  For  the 
same  reason  that  lions  and  other  beasts  of  prey  are  rare- 
ly seen ;  they  are  wary  and  cautious  and  know  that  their 
safety  depends  on  their  power  of  hiding  and  of  escaping 
observation.  How  rare  is  even  the  sight  of  a  fox  or  a 
wild-cat  in  our  fields  and  woods. 

Four  times  I  have  been  in  East  Africa,  and  but  once 
I  saw  a  striped  hyena  in  the  daytime ;  two  more  I  saw 
at  night  when  watching  for  game;  one  hundred  and 
twenty -one  I  caught  in  traps.  The  natives  knew  the 
animal,  but  were  very  reticent  and  indefinite  in  giving 
information  regarding  the  "kingugua." 

The  "kingugua"  is  much  more  feared  by  the  natives 
than  the  spotted  hyena;  it  is  supposed  to  be  more  ag- 
gressive and  therefore  more  dangerous.  But  most  like- 
ly it  is  only  more  shy  and  wary,  and  much  better  than 
its  reputation.  Attacks  on  cattle  and  human  beings, 
with  which  it  is  credited,  must  probably  be  charged 
against  that  most  rapacious  of  felines,  the  tricky  leopard. 

The  spotted  and  the  striped  hyena  alike  are  very 
friendly  in  captivity,  and  some  become  almost  affection- 
ate. There  is, one  in  the  Berlin  zoological  gardens  which 
will  leave  its  food  when  it  sees  me  in  order  to  be  petted. 

In    1902    I   caught   a  striped    hyena    in   the    Lafitte 

272 


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iS 


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WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

Mountains.  Forty  carriers  were  needed  to  bring  the 
iron  cage  to  the  coast.     The  animal  is  still  alive. 

I  think  I  have  proved  conclusively  that  the  striped 
hyena  is  as  numerous  as  the  spotted  species  in  certain 
localities:  along  the  Pangani  River,  near  the  Kiliman- 
jaro, near  the  Meru  mountain,  Ngaptuk,  Doenje-Erok; 
near  the  Ndjiri  swamps,  in  the  Matiom  Mountains,  in 
the  Kibaya-Masai ;  near  the  volcanoes  Kitumbin,  Gilei, 
and  Donje  I'Eng-ai;  by  the  natron  lake,  in  Ukambani, 
in  the  Pare  Mountains,  and  in  the  reaches  of  the  Umba 
River. 

When  caught  in  traps  the  striped  hyena  proves 
less  enraged  and  aggressive  than  its  spotted  cousin;  it 
tries  to  hide  by  pressing  its  head  close  to  the  ground. 

The  jackal  is  found  everywhere  in  the  steppe,  in  day- 
time as  well  as  at  night. 

Besides  the  beautifully  and  motley  colored  constant 
companion  of  the  hyena  (Thos.  Schmidti  Noack),  I 
noticed  in  the  mountainous  districts  another  and  larger 
kind,  the  Cams  holubi  Lorenz. 

In  the  stillness  of  the  night  w^e  often  heard  near  our 
camp  the  mournful  voice  of  the  jackal  joined  with  the 
howl  of  the  hyena ;  it  could  still  be  heard  in  the  early 
morning  long  after  the  hyena  had  retreated  to  its 
hiding-place.  The  jackals  are  not  only  seen  in  com- 
pany with  the  hyena,  but  they  are  sometimes  also 
associated  with  the  lion  and  the  leopard,  who,  when 
these  followers  grow  too  familiar,  or  when  other  food 

274 


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> 


275 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

is  scarce,  do   not   hesitate  to   turn    on    them    and  eat 
them. 

The  jackal's  sense  of  scent  is  exceedingly  keen.  I 
had  often  but  just  baited  my  traps  with  carrion  when 
one  or  more  jackals  made  their  appearance,  joined  later 
by  their  friends  the  hyenas. 

The  hyenas  and  jackals  are  the  undertakers  and 
grave-diggers  of  the  steppe,  burying,  in  almost  no  time, 
even  the  most  gigantic  mammals  in  their  stomachs. 
How  transitory,  for  instance,  is  the  existence  of  an 
elephant.  Yesterday  the  animal  was  alive  and  full  of 
strength;  to-day  it  Hes  dead,  killed  by  a  single  shot. 
Soon  the  tropical  heat  would  start  the  quick  process 
of  decay;  but  before  nature  can  do  its  work,  the 
hyenas  and  jackals  attack  the  bulky  body.  When 
they  have  devoured  all  they  can,  or  care  to,  hundreds 
of  vultures,  which  have  been  abiding  their  time  in  the 
near-by  trees,  feast  on  the  leavings,  so  that  shortly 
nothing  is  left  but  the  skeleton  and  the  skin.  The 
next  rain  accelerates  the  decomposition  of  the  hide, 
which  is  then  completely  devoured  by  the  hyenas 
and  jackals.  Nothing  is  left  but  the  bones,  scattered 
about  on  the  ground.  A  series  of  steppe  -  fires  and 
the  constant  glow  of  the  tropical  sun  soon  reduce  to 
ashes  the  bones,  except  the  mighty  skull,  which  will 
resist  the  ravages  of  time  for  many  years.  Though 
lifeless  itself,  it  harbors  hfe;  in  its  cavities  birds  build 
their  nests  or  mice  make  their  homes.     But  finally  the 

276 


HYENAS    AND    JACKALS 

skull,  too,  will  decay,  and  nothing  will  be  left  to  record 
the  drama  which  has  been  enacted. 

The  jackal  is  uljiquitous,  seen  everywhere  and  at  all 
times  of  night,  and  often  in  daytime.  In  the  fairy 
tales  and  fables  of  the  tribes  of  the  steppe,  this  cunning, 
wary  animal  plays  the  same  part  which  we  have  as- 
signed to  our  Reynard,  the  fox.  The  "  umbria  witu" 
of  the  Waswahih,  the  "endere"  of  the  Masai,  the 
"I'eloande"  of  the  Wandorobbo  is  the  embodiment  of 
cunning,  smartness,  and  agility,  the  animal  which  out- 
wits all  the  rest. 

The  hours  I  spent  watching  the  scavengers  of  the 
steppe  I  count  among  the  most  enjoyable  of  my  life. 
When  I  had  baited  m}^  traps,  or  when  I  had  killed  some 
game,  I  often  kept  in  hiding  near  by  to  watch  the 
jackals,  hyenas,  vultures,  and  marabous  collecting 
around  the  repast  which  was  spread  for  them.  During 
these  hours  of  observation  the  light  was  unfortunately 
never  favorable  enough  to  allow  me  to  take  good  pict- 
ures of  these  scenes  of  animal  life.  May  others,  trav- 
elling in  the  interest  of  science,  be  more  fortunate  than  I ! 


XXV 

ANTELOPES    OF    EAST    AFRICA 

LUDWIG  HECK  says,  in  his  book  The  Animal  King- 
^dom,  any  genuine  horned  animal,  not  a  goat,  a 
sheep,  or  an  ox,  is  an  antelope. 

Under  this  definition  are  included  the  numerous 
species  of  horned  animals  found  in  the  East  African 
steppe,  among  which  two  stand  out  prominently  by 
their  size  and  strength — the  large  koodoo  (Strepszceros 
strepsiceros  Pall),  the  "ormalu"  of  the  Masai,  and 
the  eland  antelope  (Oreas  livingstoni  Sclat.),  called 
"o'ssirwa"  by  the  Masai  and  "mpofu"  b}^  the  coast- 
land  tribes. 

The  koodoo,  whose  male  has  the  largest  and  stoutest 
horns  among  all  the  African  antelopes,  inhabits  moun- 
tainous regions,  and  is  rarely  found  in  the  Masai  dis- 
trict. It  is  less  rare  in  parts  of  Unyamwesi,  and  I 
have  a  pair  of  gigantic  "record"  horns  from  the  farther 
regions  of  Useguha. 

According  to  O.  Neumann,  the  koodoo,  while  rare,  is 
yet  to  be  found  in  the  Tare  Mountains.  In  1899  I 
made  an  excursion  from  the  Pangani  River  into  these 

278 


SKELETON  OF  A  RHINOCEROS 
279 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

mountains,  especially  to  stalk  the  koodoo.  I  found  a 
few  solitary  koodoos  on  slopes  covered  with  euphorbia, 
and  once  a  herd  consisting  of  four  cows  and  a  buck. 
The  latter  I  shot. 

The  animals  were  very  shy,  hiding  during  the  day 
among  the  bushes  and  grazing  only  in  the  early  morning 
on  the  mountain  slopes,  where  grass  and  fresh  leaves 
were  scanty,  as  the  dryness  of  the  season  was  reheved 
only  by  an  occasional  rainfall. 

It  was  extremely  difficult  to  stalk  the  shy  koodoo  in 
the  heat  of  the  day  on  the  stony  and  rocky  ground  cov- 
ered with  thorny  vegetation.  Almost  in  every  hut  I 
found  one  or  more  muzzle-loaders,  which,  no  doubt,  ac- 
counts for  the  scarcity  of  the  koodoo  in  these  parts.  The 
only  other  part  of  the  Masai  district  where  I  observed  the 
koodoo  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  the.Gilei  volcano. 
But  no  doubt  it  lives  also  on  the  mountain  slopes  near 
the  natron  lake,  as  the  natives  of  Nguruman  possess 
numerous  "bagurmas"  (signal-horns)  made  out  of  the 
horns  of  the  koodoo.  It  also  exists  still  in  the  southern 
part  of 'German  East  Africa,  whence  an  officer  of  the 
protective  troops  brought  me  a  number  of  horns  of 
koodoos  killed  by  his  Askari  near  Tabora. 

Much  more  numerous  in  East  Africa  than  the  large 
koodoo  is  the  smaller  species  (Strepsiceros  imherhis 
Blyth.),  which,  however,  is  found  only  here  and  there, 
in  suitable  localities.  The  Masai  call  it  "o'ssiram," 
the  Wandorobbo,  "njaigo." 

280 


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WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

The  beautiful,  white-maned,  dark-colored  bucks,  and 
the  lighter  brown,  hornless  females,  are  a  surprisingly- 
fine  sight  to  look  at.  The  attitude  of  a  buck,  in  par- 
ticular, when  he  scents  or  sees  a  pursuer,  is  proud  and 
imposing.  The  white  transverse  lines  which  mark  the 
animal's  coat  make  it  blend  easily  with  its  surroundings. 
On  the  koodoo  resting  in  the  shade  of  trees  or  bushes, 
these  lines  look  like  streaks  of  sunlight.  The  extraordi- 
narily large  ears  of  the  lesser  koodoo,  which  lives  in  the 
dense,  thorny  bush,  enable  it  to  hear  the  slightest  noise. 

Though  the  lesser  koodoo  is  now  restricted  to  certain 
localities,  it  was  formerly,  no  doubt,  found  in  other 
suitable  places,  such  as  the  thorny  thickets  near  the 
eastern  Ndjiri  swamps,  as  the  name  "ngare-o'ssiram" 
(ngare — water;  o'ssiram — small  koodoo)  indicates.  The 
number  of  the  lesser  koodoos  was  unfortunately  con- 
siderably reduced  by  the  murrain. 

The  lesser  koodoo  is  distinctly  an  animal  of  the  plains, 
and  it  prefers  the  stony  and  thorny  parts  of  the  steppe. 
It  forms,  as  a  rule,  only  small  herds.  They  have  great 
power  of  concealment  and  very  acute  senses  of  smell 
and  hearing.  It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  stalk  them. 
They  may  allow  a  hunter  to  approach  very  closely,  but 
suddenly  they  dart  from  their  hiding-place  with  won- 
derfully high  and  long  leaps,  and  disappear  again  from 
sight. 

As  the  lesser  koodoos  are  mostly  found  during  the  day 
resting  in  the  shade,   and   are  abroad  only  in  cloudy 

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283 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

weather,  it  is  very  hard,  indeed,  to  take  satisfactory 
pictures  of  them.  The  best  chance  I  ever  had  I  spoiled 
myself  by  my  nervousness.  Near  the  Kitumbin  vol- 
cano I  came  upon  a  magnificent  buck.  Though  he  no- 
ticed me,  he  allowed  me  to  approach  within  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet.  I  was  highly  elated,  for  I  never  had  had 
such  a  fine  opportunity.  But  when  I  developed  the 
plate,  the  picture  proved  a  woful  failure. 

The  greatest  enemy  of  the  lesser  koodoo  seems  to  be 
the  leopard.  I  often  found  pieces  of  koodoo  flesh 
hanging  in  the  trees,  placed  there  for  safe  keeping  by 
the  cunning  feline. 

The  largest  and  heaviest  of  all  African  antelopes  is 
the  eland  (Oreas  livingstoni) ,  looking  and  behaving  very 
much  like  our  ox.  Some  bull  elands  are  enormous  in 
weight — one  thousand  eight  hundred  pounds  or  more — 
and  in  size ;  their  neck  is  thickened  with  ample  deposits 
of  fat  and  their  limbs  are  massive.  The  height  of  a 
large  bull  at  the  withers  measures  up  to  five  feet  nine 
inches  or  more.  I  found  that  the  coat  of  females  was 
invariably  striped,  ten  to  twelve  white  lines  running  tra- 
versely  from  the  dorsal  line  round  the  barrel.  Old  bulls 
lose  these  markings  completely.  While  the  horns  of 
the  male  are  always  regularly  formed,  I  often  noticed 
great  variations  in  the  horns  of  females. 

The  rinderpest  destroyed  the  bufTalo  almost  entirely 
in  German  East  Africa;  only  a  few  small  herds  remain. 
It  was   feared  that  the  eland   had  suffered  a  similar 

284 


ANTELOPES    OF    EAST    AFRICA 

fate,  but  I  am  glad  to  say  that  I  have  sighted  many 
hundreds  of  them  during  my  travels  in  German  East 
Africa.  The  largest  troop  I  found  in  Kikuyuland.  It 
consisted  of  forty -seven  animals,  which  were  grazing 
in  the  wide,  open  plain  in  the  company  of  ostriches,  so 
that  I  could  not  possibly  stalk  them.  My  first  eland 
antelope  I  killed  near  the  Nakuro  Lake,  two  others 
on  English  territory  near  Kibwezi.  The  eland  runs  in 
troops  of  varying  size,  each  troop  containing  one  or 
two  adult  males.     Old  bulls  are  often  found  singly. 

The  eland  is  an  excellent  mountain-climber.  Hans 
Meyer  and  Captain  Merker  found  it  on  the  plateaus 
of  the  Kilimanjaro,  fifteen  thousand  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  Professor  Meyer  believes  that  he  has 
found  a  mountain  species  which  never  descends  into 
the  plain ;  but  my  experience  and  observation  con- 
vince me  that  there  is  n(~)  such  species.  The  eland, 
like  many  other  African  mammals,  leads  a  nomadic 
life,  keeping  to  the  lower  parts  of  the  steppe  during  the 
rainy  season  and  climbing  to  the  mountain  plateaus 
during  the  dry  season,  here  to-day,  there  to-morrow-, 
wherever  fresh  food  is  offered.  The  eland  is  linown  to 
stray  to  the  very  shores  of  the  Indian  Ocean  in  search 
of  food.  The  heart  of  the  hunter  beats  fast  when  he 
sees  this  fine  game  for  the  first  time. 

The  "singoita,"  as  the  Wandorobbo  call  the  elands, 
graze  scattered  over  the  plain.  When  suspicious  of  dan- 
ger the  herd  assembles  and  starts  on  its  flight,  first  in  a 

285 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

heavy  trot,  then  in  a  pretty  fair  gallop.  Before  they 
change  their  pace  they  make  a  number  of  high  jumps,  a 
performance  which  is  quite  remarkable,  considering  the 
weight  of  the  animals. 

I  often  found  elands  far  away  from  water,  without 
which  they  apparently  can  go  for  days.  They  prefer- 
ably feed  on  sweet  grass,  but  also  browse  on  slender 
sprouts  of  bushes  and  trees. 

Although  I  know  that  eland  antelopes  are  found  in 
the  mountains,  I  was  yet  greatly  surprised  when  I  saw, 
for  the  first  time,  a  herd  just  below  the  belt  forest  in 
an  impassable  jungle  of  jasmine,  vernonia,  and  smilax, 
more  than  six  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 

Later  I  observed  them  beyond  the  forest  region  in 
the  shrubs  and  bushes.  I  noticed  them  also  very  often 
in  the  mountain  forests  and  on  the  open  spaces  in  the 
woods.  As  I  found  the  eland  less  numerous  in  the 
plain  about  the  time  of  the  dry  season,  I  have  good  rea- 
son to  believe  that  the  mountain  eland  and  the  eland  of 
the  plains  are  one  and  the  same  species.  The  eland 
very  rarely  associated  with  other  species  of  antelopes. 
They  are  timid  and  absolutely  harmless ;  even  wounded 
bulls  hardly  attempt  to  defend  themselves. 

The  flesh,  especially  of  the  young  animals,  is  exceed- 
ingly good  eating,  except  in  the  dry  season.  It  is  re- 
ported to  be  the  best  game-meat  in  Africa.  The  hide, 
too,  is  much  valued,  but  is  very  difficult  to  prepare  for 
preservation. 

286 


ANTELOPES    OF    EAST    AFRICA 

Confined  to  the  "  Dark  Continent  "  are  the  vSpecies  of  a 
remarkable  genus  {Connochcotes)  of  antelopes,  the  gnus, 
called  "njumbo  porrini"  by  the  Waswahili,  "aingat" 
by  the  Masai,  and  "ngaita"  by  the  Wandorobbo. 
While  the  white-tailed  gnu,  or  black  wildebeest,  is  now 
hardly  ever  found  in  a  true  wild  state,  and  while  small 
herds  only  are  preserved  here  and  there  on  farms,  the 
brindled  gnu,  or  blue  wildebeest,  and  the  white-bearded 
gnu  {ConnochcBtes  albojuhatiis)  are  still  abundant,  the 
latter  especially  on  the  salt  steppe  of  the  Masai  high 
plateau.  The  white-bearded  gnu  is  larger  and  heavier 
than  its  South  African  cousin,  and  when  seen  from  a 
distance  resembles  the  buffalo.  The  traveller  may  easi- 
ly mistake  these  gnus  for  buffaloes  if  he  has  never 
seen  the  wild  buffalo  in  the  wilderness  but  knows  it 
only  from  descriptions  or  from  the  zoological  gardens. 

The  question  which  species  of  the  gnu  inhabit  the 
Masai  country  was  not  settled  when  I  first  went  to  Africa ; 
to-day  we  know  that  only  the  white-bearded  species  is 
found  there.  It  is  nomadic,  according  to  the  season, 
highly  sociable,  and  often  seen  together  with  zebras, 
ostriches,  and  with  other  antelopes.  I  once  saw  and 
photographed  a  remarkable  trio  —  an  old  bull  gnu,  a 
giraffe  gazelle,  and  a  Thomson  buck.  Gnus,  like  zebras, 
can  drink  salty  water.  In  the  dry  season  we  often  found 
them  for  months  near  the  natron  lakes  feeding  on  the 
short,  fresh  grass  which  sprouts  in  the  moist  ground  of 
the  receding  water. 

287 


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ANTELOPES    OF    EAST    AFRICA 

It  is  easy  to  hunt  the  gnu  in  parts  of  the  country 
into  which  Europeans  have  not  yet  penetrated.  The 
herd  bull  will  allow  the  hunter  to  approach  w4thin  a 
few  hundred  feet  before  he  runs  aw^ay,  performing  curi- 
ous antics.  Very  old  males  are  often  found  singly  or 
in  parties  of  two  or  three,  having  apparently  been 
driven  from  the  herds  by  the  younger  bulls.  I  have 
seen  such  old  bulls  whose  heads  were  completely  white 
with  age. 

While  the  pace  of  the  gnu  is  considerable,  it  does  not 
proceed  very  fast  when  running  away,  as  the  animal 
frequently  stops  to  watch  the  pursuer  with  curiosity, 
and  displays  peculiar  antics,  prancing  and  darting 
around  in  all  directions.  Some  observers  believe  that 
these  antics  are  caused  by  the  presence  of  larvse  of  the 
bot-fly,  but  as  these  animals  indulge  in  the  same  antics 
in  captivity,  I  am  convinced  that  they  are  prompted 
by  mere  playfulness  and  not  by  annoying  larvae.  I 
could  not  find  any  in  the  dead  bodies  of  the  gnus 
that  I  had  brought  to  my  estate  in  Germany.  These 
antics  may  partly  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  in 
the  breeding  season  the  bulls  of  the  same  herd  become 
fierce,  vicious,  and  pugnacious. 

I  have  found,  however,  in  the  stomach  of  gnus  killed 
in  the  wilderness,  a  new  kind  of  oestrus  larvae,  and  I  am 
curious  to  know  whether  others  have  discovered  the 
same. 

In  the  wilderness  the  behavior  of  the  gnu  towards 
19  289 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

man  is  timid  and  shy.  It  would  be  as  dangerous  as  the 
buffalo  did  it  care  to  make  use  of  its  horns.  But  in 
captivity  the  gnu  often  grows  vicious,  and  the  males 
especially  are  dangerous  to  meddle  with. 

In  1900  1  was  the  first  to  bring  live,  white -bearded 
gnus  from  East  Africa  to  Europe.  Through  the  friendly 
services  of  Captain  Merker,  I  had  bought  two  male  and 
one  female  two-year-olds  from  an  old  Arab  in  British 
East  Africa.  One  bull  I  presented  to  the  British  zoo- 
logical gardens,  the  other  two  animals  I  kept  for  breed- 
ing purposes  on  my  estate,  the  Weiherhof,  near  Dueren. 

The  young  animals  had  plenty  of  space  within  their^ 
enclosure   to   display   their   antics.     The   horns   of   the 
young  bull  had  already  been  trimmed  in  Pangani. 

One  of  my  men  volunteered  to  take  charge  of  the  new- 
comers, which  behaved  very  well  in  the  beginning.  But 
they  soon  developed  an  ugly  temper,  so  that  one  day 
my  man  declined  to  enter  the  enclosure  and  attend  to 
the  animals.  "These  are  not  animals," he  said,  "they 
are  devils ;  the  '  woman '  is  not  so  bad,  but  the  '  husband ' 
is  no  good."  Armed  with  a  strong  whip,  1  undertook 
to  bring  the  fighting  young  bull  to  terms.  But  I  had 
hardly  entered  the  enclosure  when  I  was  tossed  high 
in  the  air.     I  was  glad  to  escape  without  serious  injury. 

We  had  to  confine  the  animals  to  a  small,  strongly- 
fenced-in  place,  for  the  bull  very  soon  refused  to  be  im- 
pressed by  the  whippings  of  three,  or  even  four,  able- 
bodied  men.     From  day  to  day  he  grew  fiercer  and 

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WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLB 

more  malicious.  His  travelling  companion  in  Berlin 
underwent  the  same  transformation.  The  three  animals 
soon  died  from  tuberculosis.  They  were  the  first  and, 
as  far  as  I  know,  the  last  white-bearded  gnus  brought 
to  Europe  from  East  Africa. 

The  gnus  prefer  the  open,  level  country — the  "boga" 
—to  hilly  or  rocky  places.  One  can  often  see  hundreds 
of  them  enlivening  the  barren  plain ;  they  seem  to  wade 
about  in  water  when  the  glowing  mid-day  sun  bathes  the 
steppe  in  a  bluish  haze.  But,  as  a  rule,  the  gnus  take 
their  siesta  in  the  shade  of  scanty  bushes  and  trees. 
At  other  times  of  the  day  the  herds  are  seen  dotting 
the  wide  plain.  They  seem  to  have  their  social  rules, 
which  they  enforce  if  necessary.  The  strong  young 
bulls,  for  instance,  force  the  very  old  ones  out  of  the 
herd,  and  keep  them  out;  these  may,  however,  often  be 
noticed  keeping  at  a  respectful  distance  and  looking 
like  advanced  outposts. 

During  the  famine  of  1899- 1900  I  often  observed  a 
kind  of  war-game  between  gnus  and  natives  on  the 
dusty  steppe  between  the  Kilimanjaro  and  the  Meru 
mountains.  The  natives  tried  in  vain  to  stalk  the 
herds,  which  always  managed  to  elude  them,  being 
warned  in  time  by  their  outposts,  the  old  bulls. 

Near  the  Uganda  Railroad  one  often  sees  large  herds 
of  gnus  and  of  other  antelopes,  which  are  as  safe  al- 
most as  in  well-guarded  preserves,  thanks  to  the  energy 
with  which  the  English  government  enforces  the  law 

292 


ANTELOPES    OF    EAST    AFRICA 

for  the  protection  of  this  game.  The  government 
proved  that  it  meant  business  when  it  fined  heavily  the 
first  offender,  a  high  EngHsh  official.  It  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  German  government  will  follow  the  good  ex- 
ample set  by  its  EngHsh  neighbor  when  the  projected 
railroad  in  German  East  Africa  is  built. 

Besides  the  koodoo,  the  eland,  and  the  gnu,  we  find  in 
suitable  localities  in  German  East  Africa  the  roan  and 
the  sable  antelope,  antelopes  of  large  size  and  of  grace- 
ful and  slender  form,  both  called  "palla  halla"  by  the 
Waswahili.  O.  Neumann  has  proved  the  existence  of 
a  third  species  of  the  genus  Hippotragus  in  South 
Somaliland. 

The  sable  antelope  {Hippotragus  nigcr)  does  not  exist 
in  the  Masai  high  plateau  proper;  it  is,  however,  fre- 
quently met  with  near  the  coast  and  as  far  as  sixty- 
five  miles  inland,  along  the  railroad  line — Mombas- 
Tanga  -  Pangani  -  Sadaani.  This  deep  -  brown  -  colored 
"palla  halla"  is  also  absent  in  the  districts  near  the 
Kilimanjaro ;  the  pale  -  brown  -  colored  roan  antelope 
{Hippotragus  equinus)  I  first  met  near  the  Ngare- 
Dobasch,  and,  later,  in  the  Kikumbulia  district.  I  was 
never  fortunate  enough  to  take  a  good  picture  of  these 
beautiful  and  rare  "horse-antelopes." 

A  species  of  antelope  which  the  traveller  very  fre- 
quently meets  with,  especially  in  the  most  arid  parts 
of  the  East  African  steppe,  is  the  beautiful  oryx  ante- 
lope   {Oryx  callotis).     The  oryx  is  spread  over  Africa 

293 


■WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

and  the  deserts  of  Arabia  in  numerous  species,  the 
largest  of  which  is  (Oryx  gazella)  the  gemsbok  of  the 
South  African  colonists. 

The  oryx,  typical  for  German  East  Africa,  is  the 
Oryx  calloiis,  distinguished  by  its  many  tufts  of  hair 
and  its  beautiful  ears. 

The  Waswahili  call  it  "chiroa,"  the  Masai  "ol'gamas- 
sarok,"  and  the  Wandorobbo  "songori."  They  were 
not  generally  known  to  exist  in  the  Masai  countries  be- 
fore I  proved  that  they  roamed  over  the  steppe  singly, 
in  small  bands,  and  in  herds  of  sixty  or  more.  The  old 
males  I  found,  as  a  rule,  leading  a  solitary  life. 

Although  fairly  abundant  the  East  African  oryx  is 
not  very  frequently  seen,  as  it  lives  in  the  most  desert 
places  and  its  color  easily  blends  with  the  surround- 
ings. Even  so  excellent  and  successful  a  hunter  as  F. 
C.  Selous  did  not  succeed  in  finding  and  shooting  a 
specimen  of  the  Oryx  calloiis  in  British  East  Africa, 
where  he  hunted  for  it  during  some  weeks  last  year. 

This  antelope  can  exist  independently  of  water  for 
a  long  time,  being  able  to  obtain  the  necessary  liquid 
from  the  night  dew  and  from  watery  plants.  Only  dur- 
ing the  dry  season  does  it  seek  the  drinking-places.  Like 
the  gnu,  the  oryx  is  essentially  an  animal  of  the  plain, 
and  does  not  care  for  the  rocky  hills  and  the  mountains. 
This  animal  is  exceedingly  shy,  and  avoids  inhabited 
regions.  It  is  very  difficult  to  approach  a  herd.  They 
rest  so  that  their  scent  allows  them  to  notice  an  enemy 

294 


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WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

coming  with  the  wind,  and  their  keen  eye  spies  him 
approaching  against  the  wind.  Thus  they  are  fairly 
safe  from  man  or  beast. 

The  oryx  is  ?,  very  difficult  animal  to  kill,  and  it  is  al- 
most impossible  to  catch  it.  To  my  knowledge  none 
has  ever  been  brought  alive  to  Europe. 

Antler-bearing  ruminants  are  entirely  lacking  in  Afri- 
ca, with  the  exception  of  two  species  of  deer  confined 
to  the  extreme  north  of  the  continent,  which  zoo-geo- 
graphically  belongs  to  the  Mediterranean  zone. 

Some  species  of  the  water-buck  (Cobus),  however,  re- 
mind one  very  much  of  the  deer  by  their  habits,  their 
bearing,  and  their  behavior;  the  hornless  females,  es- 
pecially, strikingly  resemble  our  red  deer.  The  males 
are  adorned  with  fine,  curved  and  lyrate  horns.  Al- 
though the  water-buck,  as  its  name  implies,  preferably 
lives  near  rivers  and  swamps,  it  sometimes  ventures 
into  the  steppe,  and  in  the  dry  season  often  retires  into 
the  mountain  woods  in  search  of  food  and  protection 
from  the  bot-fly.  Its  scientific  name  is  Cohiis  ellipsi- 
prymniis ;  the  Masai  call  it  "ol'emaingo,"  the  Wando- 
robbo  "ndoi,"  and  the  Waswahili  "euro."  I  found  the 
water -buck  very  plentiful  near  the  swampy  banks  of 
rivers,  where  I  saw  several  hundred  of  them  in  one 
day.  Except  in  the  breeding  season  the  water-bucks 
herd  together  according  to  sex,  but  the  herds  of  females 
usually  contain  one  or  more  males.  The  bulk  of  the 
males  congregate  by  themselves,  and  very  old  bucks  art- 

296 


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"WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

mostly  found  wandering  about  singly.  Water  -  bucks 
like  to  herd  on  islands  in  the  middle  of  streams  which 
they  ford  in  shallow  places,  fearless  of  crocodiles.  The 
Cobus  has  a  disagreeable  odor,  which  often  betrays  the 
stand  of  the  animal,  and  which  also  makes  its  flesh 
uneatable  for  Europeans,  while  this  tar  smell  does  not 
deter  the  natives.  The  ewes  are  particularly  shy  and 
cautious.  They  always  give  the  first  sign  of  warning, 
and  lead  in  the  flight,  the  males  bringing  up  the  rear. 
Like  all  the  larger  antelopes,  the  water-buck  is  hard  to  kill. 

In  March,  1897,  I  was  with  my  caravan  on  my  way 
from  the  Kilimanjaro  to  the  coast.  Among  my  cat- 
tle was  a  black-and-white  cow.  One  day  I  was  sure 
that  I  saw  this  cow  among  the  herd  of  goats  which 
headed  the  column,  but,  to  my  great  surprise,  the  whitish 
something  proved  to  be  an  almost  snow-white  water- 
buck.  I  was  so  excited  that  I  missed  my  aim.  I 
stopped  near  this  place  three  days  hoping  to  see  the 
animal  again,  but  in  vain.  The  old  leader  of  my  cara- 
van told  me  that  he  had  seen,  at  different  times,  a  few 
white  water-bucks,  "nyama  nyaupe,"  in  this  very  neigh- 
borhood. The  many  species  of  the  bubaline  antelopes 
—  the  hartbeests  —  range  almost  over  the  whole  of 
Africa  and  Arabia.  They  vary  greatly  in  their  coloring 
and  in  the  shape  of  their  horns.  My  Wanyamwesi  car- 
riers called  them  "punju,"  the  Masai  "logoandi,"  the 
Wandorobbo  "roboht,"  and  the  coast  tribes  "kongoni." 

The  "kongoni"    (Bnbalis  Cokei  Gthr.)   of  a  reddish- 

298 


ANTELOPES   OF   EAST    AFRICA 

brown  color  inhabits  the  Masai  steppe  also.  As  is  the 
case  with  most  of  the  antelopes,  its  fore  quarters  are 
heavier  and  higher  than  its  hind  quarters.  It  is  never 
found  in  the  thick  bush,  but  prefers  the  plain,  where  its 


FEMALE    WATER-BUCK 


keen  eye  will  spy  an  enemy  far  off  and  its  fleet  legs  will 
carry  it  swiftly  out  of  sight.  It  is  difficult  to  stalk  the 
"kongoni"  when  it  once  has  been  hunted.  If  a  hunter, 
however,  succeeds  in  killing  the  leader  of  a  herd,  bull 
or  cow,  then  he  can  count  on  shooting  also  some  mem- 
bers of  the  herd.  It  can  hardly  be  described  with  what 
ease  this  strange  and  ungainly  looking  animal  can  move 
o\-cr  the  uneven  ground  of  the  steppe. 

299 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

The  reddish  hartbeest— the  Coke  hartbeest— lowers  its 
head  when  fleeing,  and  can  use  its  horns  very  effectively 
against  man  or  beast  wdien  pressed  too  closely.  Of  all 
the  African  antelopes,  it  is,  according  to  my  own  ex- 
perience, the  most  difficult  to  kill.  It  needed  four  and 
more  well-aimed  shots  to  bring  down  the  old  bulls. 

Among  the  favorite  localities  frequented  by  the 
"kongoni"  are  open  mountain  slopes,  sparsely  covered 
with  acacias,  salvadoras,  and  torminalias,  and  also  the 
open  plain.  It  is  often  found  associated  with  ostrich- 
es, zebras,  gnus,  Thomson  gazelles,  and  other  animals. 
Very  young  animals  are  quite  as  fleet  as  the  old  ones. 
The  heart  trouble  that  forced  me  to  break  ofT  mv 
third  African  journey,  and  to  return  to  Europe,  was 
caused  by  running  a  race  with  a  young  "kongoni" 
only  a  few  days'  old. 

Aside  from  the  antorbital  glands,  the  bubaline  ante- 
lopes are  provided  with  glands  on  the  lower  end  of  the 
hind  legs,  the  secretions  of  which,  no  doubt,  are  scented 
by  the  animals  and  enable  them  to  find  one  another. 
Like  many  other  African  ruminants,  the  reddish  hart- 
beests  of  East  Africa  can  go  for  days  without  visiting 
the  drinking-places. 

On  my  first  visit  to  Africa  I  found,  in  the  region  of 
the  Victoria  Nyanza,  two  other  fine  species  of  bubaline 
antelopes,  the  topi  antelope  {Damalisciis  jimela)  and 
Jackson  hartbeest.  In  1897  I  killed,  in  British  East 
Africa,  a  specimen  of  the  Buhalis  neumanni,  which  was 

300 


n 
O 


> 

H 

a 

M 
t/1 


3^1 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

then  comparatively  little  represented  in  European  mu- 
seums. 

The  beautiful  and  graceful  impallah  antelope,  the 
"suara"  of  the  natives,  the  male  of  which  is  adorned 
with  splendid,  lyrate  horns,  is  found  both  in  small 
troops  and  in  large  herds  numbering  two  hundred  head 
or  more.  Its  favorite  resorts  are  the  bushy  and  forest- 
clad  parts  of  the  steppe,  never  the  open  country.  The 
impallah  antelopes  are  exceedingly  shy  and  cautious. 
The  alarm -note  of  the  guards  of  a  herd,  a  whistling 
sound  like  "tjii,"  can  be  heard  at  all  times  of  night  or 
day.  At  the  approach  of  an  enemy  the  animals  try  to 
escape  in  powerful  leaps,  up  to  nine  feet. high  and  twenty- 
eight  feet  long.  When  fired  at,  they  will  check  their 
flight  and  jump  sideways.  A  herd  of  impallah  antelopes 
crossing  one  another's  path  and  often  jumping  one  over 
the  other  is  indeed  a  splendid  sight. 

The  impallah  are  very  fond  of  fresh,  sweet  grass,  and 
are  attracted  by  it  often  to  their  own  destruction;  for 
the  natives,  knowing  of  this  fondness,  frequently  fire 
small  patches  of  the  steppe,  fresh  grass  sprouts  on  these 
spots,  and  the  unsophisticated  impallah,  attracted  by  its 
favorite  food,  falls  a  prey  to  the  wily  natives. 

In  the  fall  of  1899  I  noticed  in  a  herd  of  about  tw^o 
hundred  animals  at  the  Mto  -  Nyuki,  near  the  Kili- 
manjaro, a  completely  white  female.  I  stalked  the 
antelope  with  great  difficulty,  and  it  took  three  shots 
to  secure  her.     She  was  great  with  young,  a  normally 

302 


ANTELOPES    OF    EAST    AFRICA 

colored  male.  Robert  Banzer,  in  Oehringen,  mounted 
this  rare  animal  for  me.  It  forms  now,  with  three 
stuffed  servals,  which  are  supposed  to  attack  it,  one  of 
the  finest  groups  in  my  "African"  room. 

The  bushbok  (Tragelaphiis  masaicus  neumanni)  is  the 
only  species  of  the  genus  Tragelaphus  found  in  the  north- 
ern part  of  East  Africa.  The  Waswahili  call  it  "mba- 
wara,"  the  Masai  "sarga,"  and  the  Wakamba  "nsoia." 
As  the  name  implies,  the  bushbok  has  its  habitat  in 
regions  covered  by  bush  and  smaller  trees.  I  found  it, 
however,  also  near  swamps  and  in  woods  six  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea.  The  bushbok  is  almost  nocturnal 
in  its  habits,  keeping  under  cover  during  the  day,  feed- 
ing in  the  open  glades  in  very  early  morning  or  late 
evening.  It  likes  to 'stay  on  the  same  tract  of  bush, 
whence  it  seldom  emerges.  It  allows  the  hunter  to  ap- 
proach very  closely  before  it  starts  with  a  peculiar  cry 
on  its  flight.  When  wounded  and  closely  pressed,  the 
bushbok  makes  a  plucky  fight  and  is  very  dangerous. 
The  young  are  born  in  November  or  December.  I  am 
sorry  to  say  I  never  was  successful  in  taking  good  piety 
ures  of  the  bushbok. 

To  hunt  the  many  species  of  antelopes  is,  no  doubt, 
fine  sport.  To  be  sure,  there  are  no  trophies  to  be 
gained  which  can  compare  with  the  antlers  of  our  own 
deer.  But  the  steppe  offers  the  sportsman,  who  is  also 
somewhat  of  a  scientist,  the  opportunity  of  achieving  dis- 
tinction by  discovering  hitherto  unknown  kinds  of  game. 


XXVI 

GAZELLES    AND    OTHER    SMALL    ANTELOPES 

THE  two  kinds  of  gazelles  most  frequently  met  with 
in  the  Masai-Nyika  are  the  Grant  gazelle  {Gazella 
granti)  and  the  Thomson  gazelle  (Gazella  thomsoui). 

The  beautiful  and  large  Grant  gazelle  was  discov- 
ered in  i860  by  Grant  and  Speke,  in  Ugogo,  on  their 
expedition  which  led  to  the  discovery  of  the  Victoria 
Nyanza.  The  smaller  "goiliu"  of  the  Masai  was  not 
known  to  zoologists  before  the  English  traveller,  Thom- 
son, found  it  in  1883.  The  horns  of  the  stately  male 
Grant  gazelle  are  long,  strong,  and  beautifully  bent, 
those  of  the  female  are  also  long  but  not  quite  so  heavy. 
This  species  is  spread  all  over  the  Masai  country  and 
runs  in  herds  of  many  animals.  The  herds  are,  in 
general,  separated  according  to  sex ;  the  herds  of  fem.ales, 
however,  are  mostly  accompanied  by  one  or  more  bucks. 
The  females  bear  their  young  in  the  summer  months, 
retiring  for  this  purpose  into  the  high  grass.  As  soon 
as  tlie  calf  is  able  to  stand,  it  joins  with  its  mother 
the  herd  of  females.  The  Grant  gazelle  inhabits  the 
plains,   avoids  the  thick   ff)rests,   l)ut   frequents  locali- 

304 


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305 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

ties  thinly  covered  with  bushes.  It  feeds  not  only  on 
grass,  but  also  on  leaves  and  fruits,  especially  those 
of  a  big  species  of  nightshade  (Solanimi). 

The  Grant  gazelle  is  very  shy  and  cautious.  The  fe- 
males lead  the  herd  in  their  flight ;  the  males  form  the 
rear-guard.  A  buck,  when  eying  his  pursuer,  looks  very 
pompous  with  his  stiff  neck  and  heavy  horns;  the  fe- 
males are  gracefulness  and  agility  personified. 

During  our  spring  months  the  Grant  gazelle  is  tor- 
mented by  larvae  and  by  horse-flies.  The  larvae  pene- 
trate the  skin  and  spoil,  not  only  the  coat  of  the  animal, 
but  also  the  taste  of  the  flesh. 

The  Grant  gazelle  can  go  for  a  long  time  without 
drinking,  and  is  therefore  often  found  far  in  the  steppe 
at  an  enormous  distance  from  the  drinking-places. 

Once  I  came  dangerously  near  to  being  impaled  on 
the  pointed  horns  of  a  female.  Alfred  Kaiser  and  I 
were  one  day  resting  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Meru 
mountain,  when  we  suddenly  saw,  in  the  distance,  a 
single  gazelle.  I  stalked  it,  and  fired  at  it,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  about  nine  hundred  feet,  but  only  wounded 
the  animal.  I  was  greatly  astonished  w^hen  I  saw  it 
running  towards  me  instead  of  from  me.  I  realized 
that  the  animal  was  a  female  Grant  gazelle  whose 
young  one,  no  doubt,  was  near  my  stand.  I  fortu- 
nately succeeded  in  killing  the  enraged  mother  by  a 
second  shot. 

The  Thomson  gazelle  resembles  the  Grant  gazelle  in 

306 


307 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

form  and  color,  but  is  rather  diminutive,  and  is  only 
found  in  the  Masai  country,  where  it  lives  on  the  open, 
grass-grown  plain.  It  is  not  only  much  smaller,  but 
also  much  less  intelligent  than  the  Grant  gazelle.  It 
will  allow  a  hunter  to  approach  within  three  hundred 
feet,  and  is  slow  to  realize  its  danger.  The  male  has 
long  and  strong  horns ;  those  of  the  female  are  poorly 
developed  and  ill-shaped.  When  running  away  from 
an  enemy  these  animals  carry  their  heads  erect  only  at 
the  start,  but  in  full  flight  they  lower  them  consider- 
ably. One  may  often  see  these  pygmy  gazelles,  which 
feed  exclusivel}^  on  grass,  pasturing  among  the  tame 
cattle  and  goats  of  the  Masai.  The  Masai  abstain  from 
eating  the  flesh  of  wild  animals  and  seldom  hunt  them. 

The  Thomson  gazelle  moves  its  comparatively  long 
tail  to  and  fro  almost  constantly.  This  characteristic 
movement  of  the  tail  I  have  never  seen  mentioned  in 
any  description  of  the  animal's  habits.  It  enables  one 
to  recognize  the  animal  at  a  great  distance. 

Occasionally  one  observes  this  gazelle  in  company 
with  other  animals.  I  have  seen  a  single  buck  on  the 
plain  for  days  with  a  greenuk  and  an  old  bull  gnu. 
I  never  noticed  the  Thomson  gazelle  in  the  districts 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Pangani  River,  but  elsewhere 
in  the  Masai  country  I  found  it  in  great  numbers.  In 
English  East  Africa,  near  the  Nakuro  and  Elmenteita 
lakes,  I  saw  thousands  of  them.  These  pygmy  gazelles 
help  to  bring  life  into  the  desert,  salt,  and  natron  steppe 

308 


Q 

> 

H 

O 
> 

N 
H 

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r 


o 


3°9 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

of  the  wide  Nyika.  May  they  long  continue  to  do  so. 
Among  the  gazelles  we  find  two  species  resembling  each 
other  and  both  marvellously  adapted  to  their  desert 
homes. 

Imagine  a  diminutive  giraffe,  exceedingly  slender  and 
graceful,  of  brownish  color,  provided  with  horns  and 
capable  of  standing,  like  a  goat,  on  its  hind  legs.  Thus 
appears  the  Clarke  gazelle  (Ammordorcas  clarkei)  and 
the  Waller  gazelle  {Lithocranius  walleri),  the  greenuk. 
The  former  is  not  found  outside  of  Somaliland,  the  lat- 
ter is  far  more  widely  distributed.  I  observed  it  in  the 
remotest  regions  of  the  steppe  of  German  East  Africa. 
The  male  is  provided  with  pecuHarly  shaped  horns,  the 
female  has  none. 

I  was  the  first,  in  1896,  to  prove  that  the  greenuk 
does  exist  in  German  East  Africa.  The  Waswahili 
call  it  "njogga-njogga,"  the  Masai  "nanjad,"  and  the 
Wandorobbo  "moile." 

Near  Buiko,  at  the  foot  of  the  Pare  Mountains,  I  once 
noticed  in  the  bright  light  of  the  setting  sun,  an  ani- 
mal rising  on  its  hind  legs  to  browse  on  the  leaves  of 
a  mimosa.  I  was  greatly  surprised  at  this  sight,  and 
first  thought  the  animal  to  be  a  giraffe.  This  optical 
delusion  is  pardonable  if  one  considers  that  it  is  not 
easy  to  judge  the  distance  and  size  of  an  object  in  the 
clear  atmosphere  of  the  steppe.  I  soon  realized  that  I 
was  mistaken  and  that  I  had  before  me  the  greenuk — 
Waller  gazelle — with  which  I  was  familiar  from  pictures 

310 


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a 

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> 

w 

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;ii 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

and  descriptions.  My  joy  was  great,  and  I  tried  to 
secure  the  animal.  In  the  deceptive  evening  light  I 
missed  twice  and  the  gazelle  escaped.  I  told  my  fellow- 
travellers  of  my  adventure,  but  they  were  sceptical  re- 
garding my  claim  to  having  seen  a  greenuk.  But  next 
morning  one  of  them  killed  a  female  of  this  species,  and 
I  was  fully  vindicated. 

The  greenuk,  which  can  live  far  from  water,  is  wide- 
ly distributed  but  very  hard  to  hunt.  It  manages  to 
exist  in  the  desert  thorn  wilderness.  In  the  midst  of 
Euphorbia,  Cissus  qnadrangiilaris,  Sanseviera  cylindrica, 
and  acacia  -  bushes,  it  is  able  to  find  enough  food. 
This  gazelle  avoids  forests  and  parts  of  the  steppe  with 
luxuriant  vegetation.  It  spends  the  day  in  the  shade 
of  acacia-bushes,  and  seeks  its  food  early  in  the  morn- 
ing or  in  the  evening. 

When  suspecting  danger  the  animal  stands  for  a 
moment  erect  and  motionless,  as  if  cast  in  bronze. 
Then  it  bends  its  long  neck  so  that  it  forms  almost  a 
line  with  its  body  and  moves  noiselessly  over  the  ground 
to  the  nearest  cover.  To  the  pursuing  hunter  the 
animal  suddenly  seems  to  have  vanished  into  the 
ground,  but  from  a  higher  point  it  can  be  seen  gliding 
along  like  a  shadow.  No  wonder  that  the  greenuk  has 
so  long  escaped  the  observation  of  former  travellers. 

Stalking  the  greenuk  is  very  difficult  and  highly 
fatiguing  in  the  thorny  hunting-ground.  Progress  is 
§low  and  the  animal  is  apt  to  notice  the   hunter  long 

313 


GAZELLES  AND  OTHER  SMALL  ANTELOPES 

before  he  has  become  aware  of  its  presence.  Then  he 
must  fire  a  chance  shot  or  wait  until  the  greenuk  raises 
its  head  above  the  thorns.  I  used  to  stalk  the  Waller 
gazelle  in  the  heat  of  the  day  when  it  takes  its  siesta. 
If  one  does  not  mind  the  heat,  one  is  often  well  repaid 
for  the  trouble.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  Kitumbin 
volcano,  in  the  northern  part  of  German  East  Africa,  I 
killed  within  a  few  hours  five  bucks  and  sighted  fifteen 
does,  but  spared  them.  It  is  very  interesting  to  watch 
single  gazelles  or  small  bands  when  they  are  abroad  in 
the  evening.  In  the  dry  season  when  grass  is  scarce 
they  may  be  seen  standing  on  their  hind  legs  brows- 
ing on  shrubs,  bushes,  and  small  trees ;  they  must  then 
be  very  active  to  secure  enough  food. 

The  Waller  gazelle,  dwelling  in  the  most  desert  places 
of  the  steppe  and  existing  on  the  scantiest  of  food, 
does  not  live  long  in  captivity  and  has,  to  my  knowl- 
edge, never  been  successfully  transported  to  Europe; 
it  cannot  adapt  itself  to  different  food  and  different 
conditions  of  life.  Even  Menges  has  not  yet  succeeded 
in  keeping  alive  and  transporting  to  Europe  one  of  the 
srazelles  of  vSomaliland. 

One  of  the  reasons  that  we  so  seldom  are  able  to 
keep  wild  animals  alive  in  captivity  is  that  we  do  not 
consider  sufficiently  their  psychical  needs.  They  are 
usually  young  animals  deprived  of  their  mothers. 
With  some,  no  doubt,  goats  will  supply  this  want.  But 
many  of  the  "children  of  the  steppe"  we  shall  never 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

see  alive  in  Europe  under  any  conditions,  as  they  can 
only  thrive  in  their  "  inhos^Jitable "  home  in  the  wilds 
of  Africa. 

Almost  of  the  same  size  as  the  greenuk  are  the  reed- 
bucks,  which  are  found  all  over  Africa  south  of  the 
Sahara.  We  must  distinguish  the  reedbucks  of  the 
swampy  plains  from  those  of  the  mountains,  both 
species  comprising  a  number  of  zoo-geographical  varia- 
tions. Common  to  all  species  and  variations  of  the 
genus  Cervicapra  is  a  glandular  and  generally  naked 
spot  on  the  side  of  the  head  just  below  the  ears. 

Typical  for  the  mountainous  regions  of  the  Masai 
country  is  the  beautiful  Chanler  reedbuck,  differing 
greatly  in  appearance  and  in  habits  from  the  reedbuck 
of  the  lowlands.  The  American  traveller,  Chanler,  dis- 
covered this  long-haired,  gray  reedbuck  in  British  East 
Africa  about  the  time  when  I  first  went  to  the  "  Dark 
Continent."  I  was  the  first  to  find  this  species,  which  is 
zoo-geographically  related  to  the  South  African  Rooi 
Rehbok  {Cervicapra  jnlvorufula),  in  German  East  Africa 
and  to  bring  specimens  of  it  to  Germany. 

I  have  never  observed  this  reedbuck  except  on  high 
hills  or  in  the  mountains.  It  seems  inappropriately 
named,  as  it  is  never  found  in  reeds  or  rushes.  It  fre- 
quents the  dry,  stony,  and  bushy  slopes  of  hills  and  the 
mountain  glades.  The  mountain  reedbuck  is  widely 
distributed  in  small  bands  of  three  to  five  individuals 
on  the  western  slopes  of  the  Kilimanjaro  and   on   all 

314 


GAZELLES  AND  OTHER  SMALL  ANTELOPES 

the  mountains  of  the  Masai  steppe.  It  is  remarkable, 
indeed,  that  an  animal  as  numerous  as  the  Chanler 
buck  has  escaped  the  observation  of  previous  travel- 
lers. This  reedbuck  is  characterized  by  a  rather  long 
tail,  its  isabehine-grayish  coloring,  its  white  underparts, 
and  its  pecuharly  long  hair.  The  mountain  reedbuck, 
the  bushbok,  and  the  klipspringer  lend  life  to  the 
mountainous  and  hilly  landscape.  To  observe  and  to 
stalk  these  three  species  of  antelopes  affords  great 
delight  to  a  hunter  who  does  not  mind  the  heat  of 
the  tropical  sun.  Towards  evening,  too,  one  may  stalk 
the  small  bands  of  reedbucks  when  they  pasture  on  the 
open  mountain  slopes.  But  they  are  very  cautious, 
and  their  coloring  makes  it  hard  to  distinguish  them 
from  their  surroundings.  The  horns  of  the  mountain 
species  are  not  so  long  and  thick  as  those  of  the  species 
living  in  the  reed  thickets  of  rivers  and  swamps. 

A  genuine  reedbuck  (Cervicapra  wardi)  inhabits  the 
reed  thickets  of  the  swampy  regions  of  the  Masai  steppe, 
being  smaller  and  having  lighter  horns  than  its  South 
African  cousin. 

This  reedbuck  rests  during  the  day  in  the  grassy 
and  bushy  plain  and  seeks  the  water  in  the  evening. 

When  stalking  for  game  I  often  was  startled  by  the 
sudden  movement  of  an  animal  in  the  high  grass  or  in 
the  rushes  not  far  ahead  of  me,  fearing  I  had  encoun- 
tered a  wild  beast  of  prey.  No  hunter  relishes  the 
thought  of  meeting  the  felines  of  the  Masai  steppe  un- 

315 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

awares  and  at  close  range.  I  always  felt  considerably 
relieved  when  the  animal  proved  to  be  a  reedbuck.  It 
is,  however,  exceedingly  difficult  to  shoot  it  with  the 
rifle  in  the  high  grass  or  in  the  reed  thickets.  In  the 
valley  of  the  Pangani  I  once  spent  a  whole  day  stalking 
a  fine  male  reedbuck.  But  I  was  bent  on  securing  it,  as 
I  wanted  to  complete  my  reedbuck  collection  for  the 
Berlin  museum.  Therefore,  I  did  not  mind  wading 
about  in  the  almost  bottomless  reed  swamps  of  the 
river,  where  I  could  hardly  distinguish  anything  a  few 
feet  away  from  me,  sweltering  in  the  heat  and  almost 
stifled  by  the  moist  exhalations  of  the  swampy  ground. 

I  found  the  females  great  with  young  in  our  month  of 
August  and  the  males  extraordinarily  sly  and  cautious. 

The  reedbuck  is  most  successfully  stalked  in  the  early 
hours  of  the  morning  or  evening.  The  animals,  how- 
ever, warn  one  another  by  a  peculiar  whistling  crv;  they 
are  also  protected  by  the  swamp  birds,  which  rise  at  the 
approach  of  the  hunter  and  alarm  the  reedbucks. 

One  would  think  that  the  reedbucks  of  the  reed- 
grown  river  valleys  and  swamps  would  hold  their  own 
even  against  the  advance  of  man  more  successfully 
than  the  animals  of  the  open  steppe,  but  this,  I  am 
sorry  to  say,  is  not  the  case.  In  Rowland  Ward's  book, 
Great  and  Small  Game  of  Africa,  we  read  that  the  reed- 
buck, so  common  in  the  earlier  days,  is  almost  extinct  in 
Natal,  Zululand  and  Bechuanaland,  and  only  rarely  met 
with  in  the  Transvaal  and  in  Swaziland. 

316 


GAZELLES  AND  OTHER  SMALL  ANTELOPES 

In  the  mountains  of  the  Nyika  I  discovered  a  new 
species  of  the  klipspringer  (Oreoiragits  schilUngsi  nen- 
manni).  When  pursued,  this  agile  animal  bounds  from 
rock  to  rock,  uttering  a  shrill  sound  of  alarm.  The 
Masai  call  it  "  n'gossoiru."  I  found  this  beautiful,  small 
antelope  on  the  dry  mountain  slopes  and  on  the  hilly, 
rock-covered  steppe  of  the  Masai  high  plateaus. 

The  bushy  and  forest-clad  regions  are  peopled  by 
numerous  varieties  of  small  antelopes.  I  have  hunted 
and  collected  for  our  museums — the  Harvey  duiker  an- 
telope, the  common  duiker,  the  Kirk  dik-dik,  the  Neu- 
mann steinbok,  the  Zanzibar  antelope,  and  other  pygmy 
varieties. 

May  others  succeed  where  I  have  failed — namely,  in 
taking  satisfactory  pictures  of  these  graceful  animcds. 


XXVII 

MONKEYS 

THE  manlike  apes,  the  mighty  gorilla  and  chim- 
panzee, which  have  long  been  known  to  inhabit 
equatorial  West  Africa,  were  also  found  living  in  the 
forests  of  the  western  frontier  districts  of  German  East 
Africa. 

Pere  Guilleme,  who  lived  for  many  years  near  Lake 
Tanganyika,  told  me,  in  1899,  that  the  chimpanzee, 
called  "soko"  by  the  natives,  inhabits  the  virgin  for- 
ests of  the  Mzaua  mountain,  west  of  the  lake.  Speci- 
mens of  this  "soko"  w^ere  lately  discovered  in  the  lake 
region  of  German  East  Africa,  and  a  gorilla  was  not 
long  ago  found  near  the  Kivu  Lake  in  German  East 
Africa.  Professor  Matschie  called  it  in  honor  of  its 
discoverer,  Captain  von  Beringe,  {Gorilla  henngei) . 

In  the  larger  part  of  German  East  Africa,  in  particular 
on  the  Masai  highland  which  I  explored,  neither  the 
gorilla  nor  the  chimpanzee  are  found.  It  is,  however, 
one  of  my  dreams  that  I  may  be  able  some  day  to 
study  the  habits  of  these  manlike  apes  in  their  native 
haunts.     The  stories  told  of  them  by  early  travellers 

318 


WHITE-TAILED    MONKEY 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

are  very  fantastic  and  can  hardly  be  taken  seriously. 
The  late  Von  Koppcnfeld  and  Mr.  Zenker  have  given  us 
some  reliable  information  regarding  these  primates  which 
stand  next  to  man. 

I  became  very  well  acquainted,  during  my  stay  in 
the  Masai  highlands,  with  a  most  interesting  member 
of  the  Old-World  monkey  family,  the  white-tailed  colo- 
bus,  or  guereza  (Colobus  caudatus),  the  "mbega"  of  the 
natives.  This  monkey,  which  is  shy  and  retiring,  lives 
in  the  tops  of  high  trees  and  feeds  chiefly  on  leaves. 
The  guerezas  are  large,  black-and-white-colored  animals 
with  long  and  silky  hair  and  white,  bushy  tails,  their 
bearded  faces  having  a  serious  and  often  sad  expression. 
I  found  them  in  goodly  numbers  in  the  forests  of  the 
Kilimanjaro  and  the  Meru  mountain.  They  feed  in 
the  morning  and  evening,  stripping  the  twigs  of  their 
leaves  with  their  thumbless  hands,  eating  greedily,  and 
bellowing  all  the  time.  They  are  arboreal  in  their 
habits,  living  in  small  troops  in  the  tops  of  gigantic 
trees,  preferring  those  which  are  overgrown  with  beard- 
grass,  the  whitish- gray  color  of  which  blends  with  the 
fur  of  the  monkeys.  When  the  "mbega"  jumps  from 
branch  to  branch  and  from  tree -top  to  tree -top,  ex- 
tending the  long,  white  tail  and  spreading  the  hair  of 
the  body,  it  looks  as  if  the  beard -grass  were  becoming 
alive  and  assuming  animal  form  to  escape  into  the 
darkness  of  the  deeper  forest. 

This  tree-monkey  is  not  adapted  to  walking,  and  is 

320 


MONKEYS 

seldom  seen  on  the  ground.  It  need  not  go  to  the 
river  or  other  drinking-places  to  quench  its  thirst,  for 
there  is  plenty  of  water  stored  up  in  the  hollows  of  the 
trees. 

The  colobus  loves  the  solitude  of  the  woods  and  is 
rarely  seen  near  human  habitations.  Where  it  is  not 
hunted,  it  is  full  of  curiosity,  and  not  over  shy.  But 
its  fur,  unfortunately,  is  a  much-desired  article  of  trade, 
and  therefore  the  animal  is  pursued  and  its  numbers 
greatly  diminished  by  European  and  native  hunters. 
This  is  to  be  regretted  very  much,  as  the  "mbega"  is 
perfectly  harmless  and  does  no  damage  to  the  planta- 
tions as  do  the  destructive  baboons  and  lemurs. 

The  beautiful  guereza  cannot  escape  its  doom — in- 
evitable destruction.  '  As  many  of  the  tribes  of  man 
disappeared  when  they  came  in  contact  with  civiliza- 
tion, as  the  elk  of  our  northern  forests  were  killed  rather 
than  leave  their  native  home,  so  the  guereza  will  cling  to 
its  forests,  the  only  place  where  it  can  exist,  until  the 
hand  of  man  destroys  this  beautiful  species.  It  simply 
cannot  live  long  without  its  accustomed  food,  the  aro- 
matic leaves  of  the  different  kinds  of  trees  in  its  native 
forests.  The  "mbega"  rarely  eats  the  fruits  of  the 
trees,  and  once  in  a  while  he  may,  for  a  change,  feast  on 
birds'  eggs  or  young  birds  and  certain  kinds  of  insects. 

Sometimes,  towards  morning,  when  the  thick  mist 
still  hovers  over  the  virgin  forest  and  the  twigs  and 
leaves   are   heavy  with   dew,  the  woodland   stillness  is 

321 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

broken  by  a  strange- sounding  humming  and  buzzing, 
beginning  softly  and  then  swelhng  into  a  mighty  chorus, 
dying  away  only  to  begin  again.  It  is  hard  for  a  stran- 
ger to  realize  that  this  noise  is  caused  by  the  "mbegas" 
in  the  tree-tops.  It  soon  serves  him  as  a  guide  to  find- 
ing the  "ol  goroi"  of  the  Masai.  High  up  in  the  tops 
of  the  gigantic  Juniper  us  procera  and  of  other  big  trees 
he  sees  the  quaint  singer  jumping  from  tree  to  tree  and 
disappearing  in  the  foliage.  Aside  from  this  long-drawn 
singing,  the  monkey  also  emits  at  times  a  short  grunt. 

According  to  my  observation,  the  guereza  is  born 
snow-white,  and  the  fur  becomes  dark  as  the  animal 
grows  older.  This  monkey  is  infested  by  a  species  of 
ticks,  discovered  by  me  in  1899,  the  Ixodes  schillingsi 
neumanni.  These  ticks  cause  a  purulent  inflammation 
of  the  eyelids. 

A  few  years  ago  I  found  the  "mbega"  also  in  the 
Kahe  and  Aruscha-Chini  oases.  It  has,  however,  as 
Professor  Meyer  has  already  pointed  out,  shorter  hair 
than  the  mountain  species.  Here  the  monkeys  were 
not  hunted  by  the  natives,  but  protected  as  sacred. 
The  Askari  of  Moschi  station,  armed  with  breech-load- 
ing rifles,  had  no  such  scruples  and  almost  exterminated 
the  colobus  of  these  oases.  In  1900  it  took  me  three 
days  to  secure  three  specimens  for  the  Berlin  museum 
of  natural  history. 

This  war  of  extermination  has  been  carried  even  into 
the  mountain  forests  to  satisfy  the  demand  for  the  fur 

322 


MONKEYS 

of  the  colobus.  I  found  hundreds  of  skins  ready  for 
shipment  to  Europe  by  Greek  and  Indian  traders.  A 
missionary  tokl  me  that  he  himself  had  hunted  eighty 
animals  within  a  month  to  seh  their  fur,  for  which  he 
received  from  one  to  two  dollars  apiece.  Indeed,  a 
noble  occupation  to  fill  the  leisure  hours  of  a  mis- 
sionary ! 

On  the  coast  of  West  Africa  exists  a  species  of  mon- 
key resembling  the  colobus.  Its  fur  was  "in  fashion" 
some  years  ago,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  the  ani- 
mals were  exported  to  Europe  to  satisfy  a  passing  fancy. 
To  be  sure,  a  tax  is  now  levied  on  every  fur.  If  it  could 
be  collected  in  those  wild  regions  it  might  prove  re- 
strictive. As  conditions  now  are  it  can  easily  be  evaded, 
and  the  hunt  goes  on  merrily  and  will  soon  exterminate 
this  attractive  animal.  I  found  on  my  expeditions 
through  those  mountain  forests  many  of  the  poisoned 
arrows,  as  thin  as  knitting-needles,  which  the  natives 
had  shot  in  hunting  the  guereza  in  order  to  sell  its  val- 
uable fur  to  the  traders. 

Before  the  European  invasion  the  natives  hunted 
the  "mbega"  only  because  its  fur  was  used  by  the 
Masai-El  Morane — the  warriors — to  adorn  their  ankles. 
In  former  years  young  "mbegas"  were  captured  to 
be  raised  and  sent  to  Europe,  but  none  of  the  young 
animals  reached  their  destination  alive.  I  therefore 
decided  to  capture  an  adult  "mbega,"  and  I  succeeded  in 
slightly  wounding   and  in  capturing   an  adult   animal. 

323 


WITH    FLASH-^LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

With  the  help  of  the  physician  in  Moschi  station,  I 
healed  the  wound  in  the  head  of  the  animal.  For  some 
time  I  supplied  the  monkey  with  his  favorite  food, 
fresh  leaves  and  sprouts  of  the  fagara.  He  refused  any 
other  nourishment.  At  last  I  coaxed  him  into  eating 
bananas.  I  selected  the  strongest  and  most  capable 
of  my  blacks  to  take  care  of  the  "mbega"  on  our  march 
to  the  coast.  It  was  a  comical  sight  to  observ^e  the 
tall,  black  fellow  marching  along,  protecting  with  an 
improvised  parasol  his  protege,  who  was  tied  to  him 
by  a  leather  strap.  Once  in  a  while  they  would  have 
a  "falling  out."  The  whole  caravan  then  stopped 
and  looked  on,  cheering  and  teasing,  until  "  Feradji 
Bibi "  and  his  charge  had  "made  up"  again.  My 
troubles  with  the  delicate  creature  were  endless.  It  was 
not  only  hard  to  select  suitable  food  for  the  monkey — 
for  his  favorite  fagara  did  not  grow  along  our  route — 
but  he  occasionally  showed  symptoms  of  fever,  which 
I  counteracted  by  dosing  him  with  quinine.  At  last  I 
got  him  safely  to  the  coast  and  transported  him  to 
Berlin,  where  he  lived  two  years  in  the  zoological  gar- 
dens in  the  care  of  my  friend  Dr.  Heck,  before  he  fell 
a  victim  to  the  changed  conditions  of  climate  and  food, 
and,  no  doubt,  also  to  homesickness  for  his  native 
woods.  When  I  returned  to  Europe  from  my  fourth 
journey  to  East  Africa,  I  had  with  me  three  "mbegas," 
which  iny  friend  Captain  Merker  had  captured  for  me 
by  cutting  down  a  few  trees  in  which  he  had  noticed 

324 


> 
w 
o 
o 
z 

w 

O 


w 


325 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

them.  Only  one,  a  female  "mbega,"  reached  the  Ber- 
lin zoological  gardens,  where  she  died  three  days  after 
her  arrival.  Captured  "mbegas"  very  rarely  become 
familiar  with  their  keepers.  They  are  retiring,  and  ap- 
parently suffer  from  an  irrepressible  longing  for  their 
native  forests.  There  is  nothing  apelike  and  comical 
in  their  behavior,  they  are  quiet,  dignified,  and  grave, 
qualities  which  harmonize  with  the  solemn  character 
of  their  mountain-forest  home. 

How  differently  the  baboons  behave  in  freedom  and 
in  captivity.  They  are  very  gregarious,  assembling  in 
large  troops,  and  inhabit,  not,  as  one  might  suppose, 
the  forest-clad  regions,  but  the  plain  and  rocky  parts 
of  the  country. 

The  yellow  baboon  {Papio  iheanus)  prefers  the  plam. 
The  coast  tribes  call  it  "njani,"  the  Masai  "ol'dolal," 
and  the  Ndorobbo  "kireije."  It  climbs  the  trees  only 
in  the  night-time,  to  sleep  there  in  comparative  safety 
from  beasts  of  prey.  During  the  day  the  large  herds 
roam  over  the  plain  in  search  of  food,  which  consists 
of  grass,  leaves,  wild  fruits,  seeds,  all  kinds  of  insects, 
birds'  eggs,  and  young  birds — in  short,  the  baboon  seems 
to  be  omnivorous.  It  may  also  kill  and  eat  very  young 
pygmy  antelopes,  but  the  story  that  it  attacks  full- 
grown  animals,  I  do  not  credit.  The  large  herds,  often 
numbering  hundreds  of  baboons,  are  conducted  and 
guarded  by  the  elders,  who  are  exceedingly,  watchful 
against   danger,    particularly   against   their  arch-enemy 

326 


MONKEYS 

the  leopard.  Three  or  four  of  the  older  males,  for  in- 
stance, sit  on  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree  looking  out  in 
all  directions  while  the  herd  feeds  or  plays  in  safety. 
Some  tear  up  blades  of  grass,  others  dig  for  roots,  turn 
over  loose  stones  eagerly,  seeking  for  insects,  or  dis- 
port themselves  in  grotesque  antics;  the  young  ones 
cling  to  their  mothers  or  follow  them.  To  complete 
this  picture  of  peacefulness,  antelopes  and  ostriches 
graze  unconcernedly  among  the  monkeys. 

But  suddenly  the  scene  changes.  One  of  the  guards 
has  seen  or  scented  me  or  a  bird  has  announced  my 
presence.  A  shrill  cry  of  alarm  and  the  animals  dis- 
perse as  quick  as  lightning.  The  monkeys  gallop  away, 
the  females  and  young  ones  in  the  van,  the  older 
males  bringing  up  the  rear,  looking  around  from  time 
to  time  without  stopping  in  their  flight.  These  old 
male  baboons  are  a  good  match  for  a  leopard,  which 
therefore  confines  its  attention  to  females  and  young 
ones.  The  canine  teeth  of  the  baboon  become  in  the 
adult  males  formidable  tusks,  effective  against  the 
largest  of  their  enemies  among  the  wild  beasts.  There 
is  not  the  slightest  doubt  in  my  mind  that  the  baboons 
have  a  kind  of  language,  by  which  they  not  only  express 
their  emotions,  but  by  means  of  which  the  older  animals, 
when  danger  threatens,  give  their  commands,  that  are 
understood  and  obeyed  liy  the  herd.  The  baboons  in 
their  flight  show  that  they  have  a  kind  of  social  organi- 
zation, and  that  the  elders  hold  authority  over  the  rest. 

327 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

They  drive  the  laggards  on  by  deaHng  them  blows  and 
by  boxing  their  ears;  they  jump  on  steep  rocks  or  climb 
trees  to  see  if  they  must  continue  their  flight. 

The  baboon's  sight  is  excellent.  The  ones  which  I 
kept  in  my  camp  would  recognize  me  at  distances  far 
beyond  the  range  of  the  human  eye. 

It  is  highly  interesting  to  observ'e  a  herd  of  baboons 
when,  about  five  in  the  afternoon,  they  go  to  their  ac- 
customed drinking-places.  If  they  drink  from  a  large 
stream,  they  have  to  avoid  the  treacherous  crocodiles. 
Should  one  of  these  be  seen,  the  monkevs  retreat  from 
the  water  grunting  and  squeaking  angrily.  The  old 
males  watch  the  crocodile  from  some  elevated  point, 
tree  or  rock,  and  advise  the  herd  when  the  danger  has 
passed.  They  again  approach  the  stream,  drinking 
carefully  and  ready  to  run.  The  baboons  prefer  to 
drink  near  shallows,  because  there  they  can  notice  in 
time  the  approach  of  the  reptiles. 

In  entering  the  undrained  part  of  the  Masai  lands, 
the  region  of  the  "great  East  African  basin,"  we  often 
meet  in  the  mountains  a  dark-green  species  of  baboon 
{Papio  neumanni  mtsch)  which  O.  Neumann  discovered 
there  about  1890.  They  prefer  to  dwell  in  large  herds 
on  the  open  mountain  slopes,  and  rest  at  night  among 
steep  rocks,  where  they  are  fairly  safe  from  the  leopards. 
In  the  early  morning  one  can  see  them  sitting  close 
together  on  the  top  of  large  bowlders,  shivering  until  the 
warm  sun  brings  them  warmth. 

328 


z 

w 
o 

o 

n 

r 

o 

r 
> 

n 


> 

o 
o 
z 


329 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

I  used  to  watch  these  herds  for  hours  with  a  good 
field-glass.  The  mountain  slopes  ajjpeared  to  be  peo- 
pled by  a  primitive  race  of  men  busily  moving  about  in 
their  stony  fortresses.  I  suppose  I  was  as  much  an  ob- 
ject of  curiosity  to  the  big  male  guards  who  did  out- 
post duty  as  they  were  to  me. 

Baboons  are  rarely  hunted  for  mere  sport;  to  shoot 
them  and  to  see  them  die  with  all  the  signs  of  an  almost 
human  agony  goes  against  the  grain  of  the  true  sports- 
man. Yet  I  had  to  kill  some,  since  I  travelled  as  a  col- 
lector rather  than  a  hunter.  Once  I  wounded  an  old 
male  baboon  and  followed  him  into  his  cave,  where  I 
found  him  dying,  his  hands  pressed  on  the  deadly 
wound.  The  savage  expression  had  left  his  face,  and 
he  looked  at  me  with  an  expression  of  suffering  and 
anguish,  and  perhaps  also  of  reproach.  Never  shall  I 
forget  this  sight  and  the  feelings  it  aroused  in  me. 

Another  time  I  reached  with  my  caravan,  after  a 
march  of  twelve  hours,  a  small  brook.  It  flowed  through 
desert,  rocky  land.  Suddenly  one  of  my  men  startled 
me  with  the  cry,  "Mtu  bwana!"  (Master,  a  man!)  and 
he  pointed  to  a  manlike  forni  which  rose  from  behind 
a  rock  about  three  hundred  feet  distant,  looking  very 
weird  in  the  twilight.  No  doubt  the  apparition  looked 
like  a  human  being,  but  it  was  a  large  male  baboon  that 
acted  as  sentinel  for  his  herd.  With  a  warning  cry  he 
disappeared. 

Very  often  one  can  hear  these  warning   sounds   at 

33° 


MONKEYS 

night  when  the  leopard  is  abroad  in  seareh  of  prey.  It 
is  a  strange  concert:  the  shrill  cries  of  alarm  mixed 
with  the  deep,  hoarse  bark  of  the  adult  animals  of  the 
frightened  herd,  and  the  shrieks  and  squealing  of  the 
young,  together  with  the  grumbling  snarl  of  the  disap- 
pointed beast  of  prey. 

The  baboons  show  a  great  deal  of  character  compared 
with  the  tricky  and  unreliable  lemurs,  of  which  three 
species  are  found  in  the  Masai  lands. 

They  exhibit  their  likes  and  dislikes  in  an  unmis- 
takable manner :  while  they  are  full  of  affection  for  their 
masters,  and  love  to  be  petted  by  them,  they  are  often 
very  averse  and  savage  to  strangers.  One  of  the  best 
trainers  of  animals  could  do  nothing  with  a  baboon 
brought  by  me  to  Europe  and  who  never  failed  to 
obey  me. 

In  Moschi  station  a  baboon  was  kept  as  a  pet  chained 
to  a  tree  just  in  front  of  the  gates  of  the  fort.  The  big, 
fierce-looking  animal  had  formed  an  intimate  friend- 
ship with  a  small  black  child  of  about  two  years.  Every 
day  the  little  negro  baby  crawled  on  all  fours  from  his 
hut  to  the  monkey,  with  which  it  played  for  hours  in 
the  most  amusing  way.  They  were  like  two  children 
of  the  same  race. 

About  Christmas,  1899,  when  the  natives  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Fort  Moschi  were  in  revolt  and  when 
an  attack  on  the  station  was  expected,  the  settlers 
withdrew  every  evening  towards  nine  o'clock  within  the 

331 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

safe  circumvallation.  One  day  the  baboon  managed 
to  free  himself  from  his  chain  and  joined  the  crowd  of 
refugees.  He  was  right;  they  had  no  business  to  let 
him  face  the  enemy  alone. 


XXVIII 

STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

1HAVE  hundreds  of  times  followed  the  big  and 
small  African  game,  sometimes  with  but  oftener 
without  success.  I  shall  describe  only  a  few  of  my 
hunting  expeditions ;  they  will  suffice  to  give  the  reader 
a  fairly  good  idea  of  the  difficulty  and  the  fascination 
of  stalking  in  the  Nyika. 

With  the  break  of  day  I  leave  my  camp,  accompanied 
by  thirty  to  forty  carriers,  each  one  supplied  with  a 
gourd  of  water.  Silently  and  in  single  file  we  follow  our 
Wandorobbo  guides.  Close  behind  me  are  the  natives 
who  carry  my  photographic  apparatus  and  my  rifles. 
My  men  are  all  trained  to  prostrate  themselves  at  a 
given  signal  and  to  remain  flat  on  the  ground. 

When  leaving  the  camp  one  does  not  know  whether 
it  will  not  be  necessary  to  spend  the  night  in  the  open 
steppe.  A  supply  of  matches  is  therefore  taken  along 
in  a  small  bag,  unless  we  want  to  resort  to  the  primitive 
way  in  which  the  Masai  and  Wandorobbo  light  a  fire, 
by  rubbing  two  pieces  of  wood  against  each  other  until 
they  are  hot  enough  to  light  a  bunch  of  dry  grass.     My 

333 


With  flash-light  and  rifle 

outfit  of  clothes  is  simple  enough  and  suitable  for  the 
purpose.  It  consists  of  a  raw  silk,  earth-brown  shirt, 
open  in  front  and  with  sleeves  turned  up  to  the  elbows, 
earth  -  colored  trousers,  strong,  heavy,  closely  nailed 
laced  boots,  two  pairs  of  stockings,  to  keep  the  heat 
out  and  also  as  protection  against  the  insects,  soft  leg- 
gings, and  a  broad-brimmed,  well-ventilated  felt  hat. 
I  very  seldom  wear  a  straw  or  cloth  helmet.  The  more 
the  clothes  fade  by  use  and  the  strong  sunlight,  so  that 
their  color  resembles  that  of  the  earth,  the  better  for 
the  hunter,  who  will  thus  more  easily  escape  the  notice 
of  the  keen-eyed  animals  of  the  steppe. 

My  spectacles  are  absolutely  necessary  to  complete 
my  full  equipment.  To  be  sure  they  give  me  the  keen- 
ness of  vision  with  which  my  natives  are  endowed  by 
nature,  but  they  often  are  also  a  source  of  irritation 
and  annoyance  when  they  insist  on  becoming  moist 
and  interfere  with  my  vision  in  critical  moments. 

I  believe  in  total  abstinence,  and  when  travelling  in 
Africa  I  never  use  alcohol  in  any  shape  or  form,  except, 
of  course,  for  medicinal  purposes.  The  small  quantity 
I  carry  I  usually  administer  to  others.  Whenever  I 
use  wine  myself,  as  medicine,  together  with  strophantus 
and  digitalis,  it  has  a  wonderful  effect.  My  natives 
carry  for  my  own  use  boiled  water  in  tight  bags.  When 
my  supply  is  exhausted,  I  have  to  shift  like  my  natives 
and  drink,  if  need  be,  the  liquid  found  in  the  marshes 
of  the  steppe,  which,  through  the  admixture  of  organic 

334 


STALKING    IN   THE   NYIKA 

and    inorganic   matter,  often   resembles  thin  pea  soup 
much  more  than  water. 

The  sun  has  risen  above  the  hazy  horizon — a  brief  but 
splendid  spectacle  is  a  sunrise  in  the  tropics.  In  sharp 
outlines  and  still  cloudless  lies  before  us  in  the  clear 
morning  Hght  the  mighty  mountain  world  of  the  Kili- 
manjaro, the  highest  elevation  on  the  continent,  the 
only  German  Alps.  But  soon  the  lower  and  middle 
regions  will  be  hidden  in  thick  clouds ;  they  are  already 
gathering  at  the  foot  of  the  mighty  mountain  range. 
The  two  highest  peaks  in  which  it  culminates,  the  vol- 
canic Kibo  and  Mawenzi,  stand  out  in  awe-inspiring 
majesty  against  the  clear  sky,  clad  in  eternal  ice  and 
snow,  bathed  in  rosy  light!  A  mighty  saddle,  almost 
fifteen  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  connects  the  gigan- 
tic peaks. 

With  longing  we  look  up  to  these  heights ;  our  imagina- 
tion ]3ictures  the  beauty  of  the  landscape  between  us  and 
the  mountains,  its  variegated  flora  and  fauna.  Deep 
and  lasting  is  the  impression  which  this  panorama  of 
steppe  and  mountain,  now  covered  with  haze  and  clouds, 
now  bathed  in  the  most  marvellous  tints,  makes  upon 
the  beholder. 

But  we  have  not  much  time  to  spend  in  musing;  we 
have  a  march  of  many  hours  before  us  into  the  wide 
steppe.  We  must  tear  ourselves  away  from  the  en- 
trancing view.  But  we  cannot  help  realizing  that  we  are 
marching  on  ancient  fields  of  lava  which,  belched  forth 

335 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

by  the  now  extinct  volcanoes,  flooded  this  high  plateau 
in  prehistoric  times.  As  far  back  as  the  Eocene  time — • 
according  to  Hans  Meyer — the  gigantic  forces  of  nature, 
remoulding  the  coast  of  the  earth,  fashioned  those 
majestic  volcanoes,  forming  around  them  that  great 
African  depression  the  waters  of  which  found  no  outlet 
into  the  sea,  but  are  drained  into  the  great  inland 
swamps  and  lakes.  To-day  the  fires  of  the  crater  of  the 
peak  of  Kibo,  which  is  six  thousand  feet  in  circumference 
and  six  hundred  feet  deep,  are  extinct,  but  the  lava  rock 
of  the  surrounding  steppe  is  a  lasting  monument  of  their 
furv. 

And  over  the  steppe  we  now  wend  our  way.  To  the 
right  the  western  Ndjiri  swamps  stretch  out  before  us, 
covering  an  enormous  area  of  depression  and  grown  over 
with  papyrus.  In  the  rainy  season  the  waters  of  the 
southern  slope  of  the  Kilimanjaro  flow  into  this  basin, 
filling  it  to  overflowing  and  changing  the  neighborhood 
for  miles  and  miles  into  endless  lakes.  The  natives  claim 
that  also  in  the  dry  season  these  marshes  are  fed  by 
subterranean  mountain  streams.  The  "molog"  creek, 
which  suddenly  disappears  before  us  in  the  earth,  lends 
strength  to  this  belief,  and  it  may  be  that  the  eastern 
Ndjiri  swamps  receive  a  constant  tribute  from  the 
crystal  clear  water  of  the  "ngare  rongai"  brook. 

Only  the  southern  slope  of  the  Kilimanjaro  mountain, 
rising  in  terraces,  is  well  watered  and  covered  in  the 
lower  part  with  rich  vegetation.     This  portion   is  in- 

33^ 


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337 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

habited  and  produces  an  abundance  of  tropical  fruits. 
The  northern  slope  is  arid  and  uninhabited. 

Our  way  leads  along  the  edge  of  the  swamps  over  arid, 
salt-incrusted  ground  and  through  grass-grown  marshes. 
Thick  papyrus  woods  cover  that  part  of  the  depression,  in 
which  the  water  never  dries  out,  not  even  in  the  height 
of  the  dry  season.  Other  specimens  of  the  swamp  flora 
are  also  found  there,  the  Pistia  stratiotes,  for  instance, 
and  the  Pothomagcuton. 

Long  ago  the  birds  have  become  wide-awake.  I  lis- 
ten to  the  well-known  melody  of  the  beautifully  colored 
shrike.  "Kuctuc  tititi,"  it  sounds  from  out  the  acacia 
thicket.  Red-casque  hornbills  fly  ahead  of  us  from  bush 
to  bush  and  tree  to  tree.  A  marsh-harrier  crosses  our 
path,  making  for  the  swamp;  long -tailed,  splendidly 
colored  rollers  fly  screaming  to  and  fro.  A  spotted 
bustard  rises  before  us  with  a  loud  "raga-garaka-raga 
garaka,"  doing  a  number  of  somersaults  for  our  benefit 
and  flying  off  into  the  steppe.  In  spite  of  the  early 
morning  hour  the  air  on  the  edge  of  the  swamps  is  sultry 
and  oppressive.  On  the  moist  ground  around  us  young 
Madagascar  frogs  are  leaping  at  our  feet.  I  see  an  adder- 
like snake,  catch  it,  and  despatch  one  of  my  natives  to 
take  it  to  the  camp  together  with  the  skin  of  a  fifteen- 
foot-long  python,  which  in  vain  had  tried  to  escape  us. 

My  small  caravan  makes  up  for  lost  time,  my  men  step 
briskly.  On  our  left  sueda  -  bushes  cover  the  ground, 
which  is  marked  by  hippopotamus  tracks.     We  pass  a 

338 


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339 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

reed-grown  spot.  Suddenly  a  herd  of  wart-hogs,  which 
we  had  disturbed  at  their  morning  mud-bath,  breaks  out 
from  the  reed  thicket  towards  the  open  steppe.  Quick- 
ly my  carrier  hands  me  the  rifle  and  I  manage  to  kill  the 
hindmost  pig  before  it  reaches  the  sued  a  -  bush.  One 
of  my  men  carries  it  to  the  camp.  Its  flesh  will  furnish 
us  a  fine  roast  and  its  skin  and  skull  will  enrich  my  col- 
lection. 

Again  we  proceed.  The  marshy  ground  is  criss-cross- 
ed by  the  paths  of  the  hippopotamus,  but  the  animals 
have  long  ago  retired  into  the  impenetrable  depths  of 
the  swamp  thickets.  Above  us  circles  a  screaming  eagle 
hailing  the  morning  with  its  high-pitched  "  gliue  gli  gli, 
gHue  gli  gli."  "  A  reedbuck,  master  "  (nyama  bwana), 
my  rifle-carrier  whispers  to  me.  A  beautiful  antelope 
with  a  yellowish  coat,  of  the  size  of  a  deer,  grazes  on  an 
open  place  unaware  of  our  presence.  I  watch  her — for 
it  is  a  doe,  and  I  do  not  mean  to  kill  her — for  a  few 
minutes,  take  a  picture  of  her,  and  then  scare  her  away. 
I  am  not  so  lucky  with  a  female  koodoo,  which  takes  to 
its  heels  before  I  can  take  a  snap-shot. 

Now  the  steppe  becomes  more  open  and  arid  and 
animals  rarer.  Only  a  few  spur-winged  lapwings  follow 
us  uttering  their  low,  melancholy  cry.  My  men  look 
for  the  nests,  which  they  find,  full  of  eggs,  in  a  near-by 
reed  thicket. 

We  are  advancing  farther  into  the  steppe,  along  the 
edge  of  the  big  swamp.     A  brightly  colored  jabiru  is 

340 


STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

disturbed  by  us  and  flies  deeper  into  the  reed  thicket. 
Not  far  from  the  water  two  small  Thomson  gazelles  are 
feeding.  The  cry  of  the  jabiru  warns  them;  they  see  us 
and  withdraw  to  their  herd,  which  we  made  out  in  the 
far  distance.  They  allow  us  to  approach  them  within 
four  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  but  then  they  gallop  away. 
Their  flight  cautions  a  small  herd  of  female  Grant  ga- 
zelles who,  following  the  lead  of  a  fine  buck  with  long, 
lyrate  horns,  go  around  us  in  a  large  circle  and  eye  the 
strange  visitors  of  the  steppe.  The  wind  blows  towards 
them,  and  there  is  no  use  trying  to  stalk  them. 

About  three  thousand  feet  distant  I  notice  in  the 
steppe  a  dark  object.  It  is  a  bull  gnu  who  has  seen  or 
scented  us.  No  doubt  he  wonders  who  and  what  we  are ; 
the  movement  of  his  iail  betrays  his  curiosity.  We  are 
about  to  stalk  him,  when  a  flock  of  crowned  lapwings 
warn  the  gnu  by  their  noisy  twitter.  The  bull  runs  off 
in  short  leaps,  looking  around  from  time  to  time,  and 
stopping  finally,  satisfied  that  the  danger  has  passed.  I 
steal  slowly  and  in  a  roundabout  way  up  to  within  six 
hundred  feet  of  the  bull  and  fire,  but  only  wound  him  on, 
the  hind  quarter.  For  half  an  hour  I  follow  the  bloody 
tracks  when  a  branch  of  the  swamp  blocks  my  way.  We 
are  forced  to  wade  in  the  paths  of  hippopotami  and 
water-bucks  in  mud  up  to  our  knees.  We  see  the  gnu 
resting  on  a  drier  spot,  but  the  thicket  prevents  me  from 
firing  at  him.  Again  the  bull  escapes.  I  know  the  pur- 
suit will  last  long  and  will  take  us  quite  a  distance  from 

341 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND   RIFLE 


THE    SACRED    IBIS 


our  camp.  The  vitality  of  the  African  game  far  sur- 
passes that  of  the  European  animals,  just  as  the  native 
is  stronger,  has  greater  power  of  endurance  and  greater 
animal  vigor  than  the  white  man,  whose  wounds,  for 
instance,  heal  up  much  more  slowly  than  those  of  his 
black  brother. 

Pursuing  the  gnu  we  are  again  led  into  the  swamp  by 
its  tracks,  unintentionally  frightening  the  winged  in- 
habitants— the  hammer-headed  stork,  the  snow-white 
heron,  the  Egyptian  goose,  the  jacana,  the  spur-winged 
lapwing,  and  others. 

Now  the  tracks  bring  us  again  on  dry  land.  Through 
woods  of '  salvadora,   acacia  and  terminalia,   we  reach 

342 


STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

once  more  the  open  steppe.  After  an  hour  or  so 
my  native  companions  see  the  bull  about  forty  -  five 
hundred  feet  ahead  of  us  still  galloping  on  three  legs. 
We  come  to  a  spot  where  the  animal  apparently 
has  made  a  brief  stop,  for  the  ground  is  marked  with 
blood  and  two  splinters  of  bone  are  found.  Sueda- 
bushes  now  afford  us  good  cover.  I  leave  my  men  be- 
hind, succeed  in  approaching  the  bull  within  shooting 
distance,  and  kill  him.  My  men  come  up  and  skin  the 
gnu.  An  Arabian  kite,  which  had  been  following  us 
for  a  long  time  in  anticipation  of  a  square  meal,  sees  its 
expectation  realized  and  alights  on  the  dead  bull.     Other 


WIIITE-BREASTHl)     EAGLE 


343 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

kites  join  the  first,  but  they  can  only  pick  small  pieces 
out  of  the  carcass.  Suddenly  a  large,  heavy  bird  drops 
on  the  ground  close  by  and  hops  clumsily  up  to  the 
smaller  birds.  It  is  a  vulture.  Soon  the  whole  vulture 
family  assembles  to  partake  of  the  feast:  the  white 
vulture,  the  Ruppel  vulture,  the  white  -  headed  vult- 
ure, the  white -backed  vulture  (Psendogyps  schilliugsi 
Erl.),  the  eared  vulture.  Not  unlike  relatives,  they  fight 
over  the  booty,  using  their  beaks  and  wings  to  make 
good  their  claim.  Their  quarrelling  gives  the  poor  kites 
a  chance  to  snatch  a  few  bites.  The  marabou-storks 
also  feel  entitled  to  a  share  in  the  spread.  Like  par- 
achutes they  drop  from  the  sky  and  join  the  vult- 
ures. The  birds  that  have  eaten  their  fill  fly  lazily 
to  the  neighboring  trees  to  digest  the  food.  With 
great  interest  I  watch  tliis  struggle  for  existence  and 
take  a  picture  or  two  of  this  battle  of  the  birds. 

Having  thus  spent  a  restful  quarter  of  an  hour,  we 
continue  our  march  into  the  steppe.  Before  us  lies  the 
wide  and  arid  plain ;  the  grass  on  the  ground  is  dry  and 
parched.  Above  us  hover  a  pair  of  short-tailed  eagles. 
They  are  not  only  beautiful  but  also  strong.  Few  birds 
can  soar  as  high  as  the  Helotarsus  ecandatus,  the  plumage 
of  which  is  strangely  variegated  with  maroon,  black, 
and  gray.  The  ground  on  which  we  walk  is  everywhere 
undermined  by  the  burrows  of  ground  -  squirrels  and 
other  animals.  Here  and  there  some  shrubs  and  bushes 
relieve  the  monotony  of  the  scenery.     The  rolling  and 

344 


< 

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345 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

sometiines  hilly  ground  is  broken  by  small  rifts  which 
after  rainfalls  dry  out  very  slowly,  and  often  attract 
herds  of  antelopes  that  browse  on  the  fresh  grass  of 
these  little  valleys.  In  one  of  these  I  notice  a  herd  of 
brown -red  hartbeests  (Bubalis  cokei),  clumsy  -  looking 
but  powerful  animals.  I  take  a  special  interest  in  them, 
because  their  zoo- geographical  variations  are  by  no 
means  fully  known  scientifically.  Therefore  I  do  not 
mind  the  hardship  of  stalking  them.  I  leave  my  men 
behind  and  try  to  steal  up  to  the  herd.  For  some  dis- 
tance I  have  to  crawl  along  on  all  fours,  my  hands 
being  scorched  by  the  intensely  hot  ground.  The  lead- 
ers of  the  herd  are  still  watching  my  men,  who  are 
sitting  in  the  shade  of  a  euphorbia.  I  have  apparently 
escaped  their  watchfulness.  At  last,  after  half  an  hour's 
hard  work,  I  am  near  enough  to  be  sure  of  my  aim. 
Two  bullets  from  my  rifle  and  tw^o  bull  hartbeests  drop 
dead;  the  rest  of  the  herd,  ten  animals,  gallop  away  in 
a  cloud  of  dust.  My  men  now"  join  me;  a  few  carry  the 
skins  of  the  animals  to  the  camp ;  with  the  remaining 
fifteen  I  penetrate  farther  into  the  steppe.  Soon  two 
greenuks  come  in  sight,  but  observe  us  and  escape. 
We  meet  many  tracks  of  rhinoceroses,  all  leading  from 
the  Ndjiri  swamps  into  the  steppe.  I  follow^  the  fresh 
path  of  an  evidently  powerful  "pharu,"  fully  aware  that 
I  may  do  so  for  hours  and  still  fail  to  come  up  with  the 
animal.  The  men  accompanying  me  are  the  best  of 
my  carriers;   they  had  been  with  me  during  my  pre- 

346 


STALKING    IN   THE   NYIKA 

vious  visits  to  the  "Dark  Continent."  While  their  use- 
fulness, aside  from  their  being  able  to  carry  heavy  loads, 
is  limited,  they  are  well  trained  in  making  out  the  tracks 
of  animals,  and  all  possess  great  power  of  endurance, 
especially  of  bearing  thirst  long  and  patiently.  The 
best,  in  the  latter  respect,  are  the  warlike  and  hardy 
Masai-El  Morane  and  the  Wandorobbo.  They  are  far 
superior  to  the  Wanyamwesi,  who  come  from  the  well- 
peopled  and  well-watered  Unyamwesi  land. 

But  I  am  as  inferior  in  physical  endurance  to  a 
Wanyamwesi  as  he  is  to  a  Wandorobbo.  The  stolid 
negro  has  another  advantage  over  the  European.  How- 
ever he  may  suffer  from  thirst  during  the  day,  at  night 
he  lies  down  and  soon  has  all  the  water  he  can  wish 
for,  in  his  dreams,  while  the  high-strung  European  tosses 
about  on  his  couch,  kept  awake  not  only  by  the  feeling 
of  thirst,  but  by  the  conscious  and  subconscious  thought 
of  it,  which  torments  him  as  much  as  or  even  more  than 
the  physical  want. 

Water!  Water!  How  is  it  possible  to  make  the 
average  European  understand  what  thirst  really  means, 
especially  thirst  in  the  tropics,  which  is  increased  by 
the  effort  to  find  the  means  of  quenching  it?  With 
every  step  that  the  thirsty  explorer  takes,  under  a  trop- 
ical sky,  in  the  hot,  dry  air,  his  perspiring  body  loses 
more  and  more  of  the  essential  element  which  he  is 
seeking,  for,  though  thirsty,  he  cannot  afford  to  rest 
in  the  shade  of  a  tree,   as  every  minute  is  precious. 

347 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

There  is  a  rumor  that  the  Mahdi  despatched  his  enemies 
by  starving  them  to  death.  He  prolonged  their  suffer- 
ing by  allowing  them  water.  The  death  struggle  be- 
gan on  the  seventeenth  day.  From  this  day  on  the 
Mahdi,  with  his  retinue,  would  visit  the  dungeons  to 
gloat  over  their  agony. 

In  the  tropical  climate  of  Africa,  man  succumbs  to 


MR.    ORGEICH    AND    N.\TIVE    ASSISTANTS 


thirst  after  two  or  three  days;  even  one  hot  day  is  suf- 
ficient to  exhaust  a  strong  man. 

I  can  speak  of  the  tortures  of  thirst  from  my  own 
experience.  The  caravan  which  I  had  joined  on  my 
first  journey  into  East  Africa  had  encamped  for  a  few 

348 


STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

days  near  the  Nguasso-Nyioro  in  the  Nguruman  dis- 
trict. One  hot  day  I  went  out  to  stalk  game,  accom- 
panied by  a  number  of  natives.  I  was  very  successful, 
and  sent  most  of  the  men  back  to  the  camp  laden  with 
the  spoils  of  the  hunt.  At  ten  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon I  drained  the  last  drop  of  tepid  water  from  my 
flask,  but  I  did  not  intend  to  stray  very  far  from  the 
camp.  Being  very  inexperienced,  I  was  carried  away 
by  the  novelty  of  such  hunting,  so  that  I  found  myself 
many  hours  distant  from  the  camp  before  I  thought  of 
returning.  The  two  natives  who  were  with  me  lost 
the  way,  and  when  night  came  we  found  ourselves  in 
the  middle  of  a  thorn  thicket,  not  knowing  which  way 
to  turn.  In  the  hope  of  attracting  the  attention  of  my 
friends  in  the  camp,  I  6red  in  quick  succession  most  of 
my  cartridges,  but  no  answer  came.  We  resigned  our- 
selves to  spending  the  night  in  the  "pori,"  the  thicket. 
My  black  companions  fell  asleep  almost  immediately. 
I  was  kept  awake  by  a  feeling  of  intense  thirst.  While 
restlessly  shifting  my  position,  my  foot  knocked  against 
a  hard  object.  It  proved  to  be  the  bleached  and  half- 
decayed  skull  of  a  buffalo. 

My  thirst  becomes  more  and  more  tormenting;  my 
feverish  condition  painfully  intensifies  my  sense  of 
hearing.  I  perceive  strange  crackling  and  rustling 
noises  around  me  in  the  dry  thicket.  Near  me  in  the 
bush  a  galago  utters  a  shrill  yell;  a  screech-owl  answers 
the    lemur.     Minute    after    minute,     hour    after    hour 

349 


"WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

pass.  Hark!  What  kind  of  a  sound  is  this?  A  long- 
drawn  -  out,  mournful  note,  beginning  low  and  ending 
high;  then,  after  a  short  pause,  a  cry  resembhng  the 
laugh  of  a  maniac.  There  is  no  mistaking  the  animal. 
It  is  a  hyena,  and  it  cannot  be  farther  away  than 
thirty  feet.  My  men,  too,  are  w4de-awake  and  horror- 
struck  by  the  cry  of  the  "fissi."  I  raise  my  repeating- 
rifle  to  fire  in  the  direction  of  the  invisible  visitor,  but 
remember  in  time  that  I  have  only  four  cartridges  left 
which  I  may  need  in  defence  against  more  dangerous 
beasts.  So  we  keep  the  hyena  off  by  shouting  and  by 
throwing  pieces  of  the  buffalo  skull  into  the  thicket. 
For  quite  a  while  we  have  to  keep  up  this  duet  between 
man  and  beast.  How  easily  might  the  stealthy  leopard 
and  the  lion  prey  upon  us!  My  imagination  pictures 
to  me  the  possibilities  of  such  an  encounter.  But  more 
intense  than  fear  is  the  feeling  of  unquenched  thirst. 
My  tongue  sticks  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth,  my  pulses 
throb  violently,  and  I  begin  to  feel  dizzy  and  drowsy. 
Already  my  mind  begins  to  wander,  but  above  all  the 
confusion  of  grewsome  and  of  gladsome  images  and 
noises,  the  reality  of  the  torturing  thirst  asserts  itself, 
and  I  cry,  in  thought,  for  water,  water!  The  sky  withal 
is  clouded  and  starless,  the  air  is  murky  and  humid, 
the  very  ground  exhales  the  heat  which  it  has  absorbed 
during  the  day. 

Listen!     I  hear  it  again  and  again.     Is  it  a  hallucina- 
tion of  my  exhausted  brain  or  is  it  real?     It  must  be 

.350 


STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

real.  Again  and  again  I  hear  it,  the  cheerful  twitter 
of  a  small  fly-catcher  announcing  and  welcoming  the 
break  of  day. 

As  soon  as  the  darkness  around  us  is  dispelled  we 
rouse  ourselves,  and,  though  not  knowing  whither  we  go, 
we  find  our  way  at  last  out  of  the  thicket  into  the  open 
steppe.  And  we  struggle  on  with  heavy  steps,  kept  up 
by  the  hope  of  finding  the  camp.  How  long  will  it  sus- 
tain us  before  we  despair  and  lie  down  to  meet  our 
doom  ?  Now  we  come  to  a  slight  depression.  Can  it 
be  the  lower,  dried-out  bed  of  the  brook  near  which  our 
tents  are  pitched  ?  Eagerly  we  follow  this  promising 
path.  The  ground  becomes  softer,  and  at  last  we  find 
water!  It  is  only  a  small,  stagnant  pool,  but  it  is  water, 
and  in  slow,  long  draughts  we  quench  our  thirst  at  last. 
Filled  with  new  life  we  proceed  and  reach  the  camp  and 
are  welcomed  by  our  friends. 

It  may  sound  childish,  but  that  morning  I  could  not 
get  enough  of  the  precious  water.  I  drank  of  it,  petted 
it,  bathed  in  it  for  hours.  But  whoever  has  suffered 
thirst  in  the  tropics  and  has  given  up  all  hope  of  relief 
will  fully  understand  my  behavior. 

One  experience  of  this  kind  is  enough,  and  the 
hunter  will  in  future  be  careful  to  make  sure  of  his 
way  home  to  the  camp,  for  his  hunt  is  not  over 
when  he  has  killed  his  game,  but  when  he  has  safely 
returned  t(^  his  starting-point.  I  had  learned  my  les- 
son, and  when,  a  few  days  later,  I  went  hunting  again 

.351 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

I  resolved  not  to  venture  too  far  into  unknown  ter- 
ritory. 

Again  I  followed  the  fresh  tracks  of  a  rhinoceros  lead- 
ing through  salvadora  and  capparida  bushes  into  the 
open  steppe  which  is  broken  by  slight  depressions  and 
small  rifts,  dried-out,  periodic  river-beds.  I  may  meet 
the  animal  any  moment  or  I  may  never  even  see  one. 
The  wind  being  favorable,  I  need  not  fear  that  the  ani- 
mal may  scent  me.  So  as  not  to  be  heard,  my  men  and 
I  move  as  silently  as  possible,  marching  in  single  file. 
Suddenly  one  of  the  men  points  to  a  far-off  cluster  of 
acacias.  With  my  field-glass  I  see  the  rhinoceros  lying 
under  one  of  the  trees.  Steady  nerves  are  needed  now. 
I  have  a  good  chance  to  stalk  my  game,  but  I  also  run 
an  unusual  risk  in  the  open,  practically  coverless,  country 
should  I  merely  wound  the  animal  and  should  it  turn 
against  me.  Accompanied  by  two  rifle-carriers,  I  man- 
age to  steal  up  to  within  two  hundred  feet  of  the  sleep- 
ing creature. 

I  must  kill  it  or  it  may  kill  me.  Yet  it  goes  against 
my  grain  to  fire  while  it  is  asleep.  My  voice  sounds 
strange  to  me  in  the  solitude  of  the  wilderness  when  I 
startle  the  beast  with  a  shout.  Quick  as  lightning  the 
rhinoceros  is  on  its  feet  and  pricks  its  ears.  A  sharp 
report  from  my  rifle  and  the  infuriated  animal  turns 
twice  around  in  a  circle  more  swiftly  than  a  horse  would 
when  given  the  spur.  A  second  bullet  settles  the 
mighty  beast.     With  a  thud  it  drops  to  the  ground. 

352 


STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

I  approach  it  carefully ;  its  eyes  are  still  open  and  blink- 
ing. A  shot  in  the  ear  makes  assurance  doubly  sure ;  a 
second  shot  and  life  is  extinct.  I  call  my  men  and  we 
skin  the  head  and  loosen  the  horns  of  the  dead  animal. 
It  takes  us  over  an  hour  to  do  so.  Then  we  cut  off 
some  choice  pieces  of  flesh  and  return  to  the  camp. 
My  pedometer  indicates  seventy-two  thousand  steps, 
and  we  are  entitled  to  a  good  night's  rest. 

I  was  encamped  near  the  "  Ngare  na  lalla"  in  the 
Masai  district  Matumbato.  Early  in  the  morning  of  a 
fine  October  day  I  leave  the  camp  with  a  number  of 
my  carriers  to  climb  the  southern  spur  of  Doenje-Erok 
mountain  range.  After  marching  up-stream  for  some 
distance  we  cross  the  'high  steppe  which  is  broken  by 
numerous  rifts,  periodic  river-beds,  until  we  reach  the 
foot  of  the  outlying  hills. 

We  came  across  many  tracks  of  animals  which,  during 
the  night,  had  been  drinking  at  the  brook.  Small,  be- 
lated herds  of  gazelles  and  antelopes  cross  our  path  and 
gallop  away  into  the  steppe.  The  day  promises  to  be- 
come hot,  for  the  sky  is  cloudless.  The  birds  have  not 
yet  gone  to  rest  in  the  bushes  and  trees  and  thickets. 
A  couple  of  Caffer  hornbills,  large  numbers  of  spurred 
partridges  {Fraucolini),  and  two  large  strings  of  guinea- 
hens  fly  u|)  in  front  of  us.  The  metallic  "rshrshek- 
grrrr-ek-ek-ek-ek-ik-ik-ik-igh-igh-igh"  of  the  hens 
accompanies  their  flight.  The  cries  of  turtle  -  doves, 
^^  353 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

sand  -  grouses,  etc.,  fill  our  ear.  The  laughter  of  the 
green  hoopoo,  the  "el  gononi"  of  the  Masai,  is  answered 
by  the  barklike  cry  of  the  ChizcBrhts  leucogastra.  Three 
enormous  bustards  rise  slowly  into  the  air  about  six 
hundred  feet  ahead  of  us.  They  are  safe  to-day  for  I  am 
after  rarer  game.  Even  the  graceful,  small  dik-dik 
antelopes  I  only  watch,  but  do  not  disturb.  After  a  two 
hours'  march  over  the  broken  steppe  and  the  rocky  and 
thorny  hills,  we  meet  two  greenish-gray-colored  moun- 
tain antelopes,  two  fine  African  chamois,  klipspringers, 
called  "  n'gnossoiro "  by  the  Masai.  These  mountain 
antelopes  exist  in  many  varieties.  The  specimens 
which  I  took  with  me  to  Germany  were  recognized  as  a 
distinct  variety.  O.  Neumann  named  it  Orcotragiis 
Schillingsi.  Hunting  these  diminutive,  fleet  animals  is 
exciting  and  welcome  sport  for  a  genuine  sportsman. 
In  Abyssinia  the  klipspringer  is  found  nine  thousand  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  How  high  it  climbs  in  the 
East  African  mountains  I  do  not  know.  It  loves  the 
strong  and  rocky  ground  and  is  satisfied  with  the  nour- 
ishment which  the  scanty  flora  of  its  precipitous  habitat 
furnishes.  Like  a  rubber  ball,  this  agile  antelope  bounds 
from  ledge  to  ledge,  landing  on  a  peak,  gathering  all  four 
feet  in  the  space  of  one,  and  looking  out  for  its  daring 
pursuer.  In  such  a  position  I  see  one  of  the  two 
which  I  am  stalking.  It  is  a  buck.  Although  he  is 
about  six  hundred  feet  away  from  me,  perched  on 
a   peak    across    a    deep    rift,    my   bullet    reaches    him. 

354 


STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

Two  of  my  men  find  him  and  carry  him  back  to  the 
camp. 

But  I  want  to  reach  the  crest  of  the  mountain  spur. 
The  heat  of  the  sun  has  already  baked  the  stones  and 
rocks  of  the  steep  slopes  which  we  now  climb,  sometimes 
crawling  on  all  fours,  annoying  the  geckoes  (lizards) 
on  our  path,  which  can  easily  run  up  on  smooth  and 
perpendicular  rocks  as  their  toes  are  provided  with 
adhesive  disks.  The  higher  we  climb  the  fresher  is  the 
vegetation.  Nearing  the  bush-grown  region,  I  notice 
excrements  which  denote  the  presence  of  dassies,  those 
pygmy  ungulates  which  are,  strange  to  say,  closely  re- 
lated to  the  monstrous  rhinoceros. 

The  rhinoceros,  the  second  terrestrial  mammal  in  size, 
which  for  many  hundred  thousand  years  has  held  its  own 
in  the  struggle  for  existence,  is  doomed  to  extermination 
within  an  appreciable  time  by  the  hand  of  man,  armed 
with  the  poisoned  arrow  and  the  destructive  small- 
caliber  rifle,  while  the  little  dassy  has  a  good  chance  to 
outlive  even  man.  They  multiply  like  rabbits  and  they 
are  hard  to  hunt.  At  the  slightest  alarm  they  run  into 
their  hiding-places  among  inaccessible  rocks  or  under 
the  ground.  When  wounded  they  are  lost  to  the  hunter 
if  they  escape  into  their  holes.  The  average  hunter 
leaves  them  alone ;  only  the  collector  will  patiently  hunt 
them  to  provide  museums  with  specimens.  The  das- 
sies live  on  a  friendly  footing  with  the  klipspringers ; 
both  warn  each  other  of  approaching  danger.     Among 

355 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND   RIFLE 

animals  the  dassy  has  two  mortal  enemies,  the  leopard 
and  the  eagle,  but  the  wary  dassy  is  not  easily  caught 
napping. 

Our  way  leads  us  higher  up  into  the  mountains,  over 
open  ground  and  through  thorny  bushes,  in  the  heat  and 
glare  of  the  sun.  until  we  reach  the  crest  of  the  outlying 
chain  of  hills.  From  there  we  command  a  fine  view, 
far  and  wide,  into  the  steppe.  At  our  feet  we  notice  a 
greenish  line.  It  is  the  brook  near  which  my  camp  is 
made,  the  tents  of  which  stand  out  from  the  yellowish- 
brown  ground.  Farther  away  the  brook  disappears  in 
the  marshes  which  are  covered  for  miles  with  reed 
thickets,  and  beyond  these  the  steppe  expands  into 
apparently  endless  space. 

The  air,  quivering  with  heat,  casts  a  bluish  hazy  veil 
over  the  landscape,  deceiving  the  eye  as  to  the  true 
distance  and  size  of  things.  Had  I  the  power  to  ex- 
press the  varied  emotions  and  thoughts  of  the  human 
mind  at  the  sight  of  grand,  pure,  undefiled  nature  in 
its  harmony  of  steppe,  hills,  mountains,  and  sky!  But 
though  they  are  inexpressible,  they  are  indelibly  in- 
scribed in  the  mind,  and  often  in  the  complexity  of 
civilized  life  the  memory  of  those  sacred  hours  of  com- 
munion with  nature  fills  the  heart  with  deep  longing  for 
an  hour's  solitude  in  the  mountains  of  the  endless  Masai- 
Nyika ! 

But  we  must  not  tarry  longer  if  we  want  to  accom- 
plish our  object,  to  penetrate  to  the  higher  forest  region 

356 


STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

of  the  Doenje-Erok,  which  rises  six  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  which  no  European  before  me 
has  ascended  and  explored. 

We  leave  to  our  right  below  us  the  grass-covered  hills 
and  continue  on  our  ascent. 

Passing  along  one  of  the  small  valleys,  the  dried-out 
beds  of  periodic  rivers,  I  notice  a  troop  of  four  moun- 


VULTURES 


tain  reedbucks  {Cervicapra  chanlert).  They  are  scarcely 
represented  in  any  European  museum,  and  I  consider 
myself  very  fortunate  in  kilHng  a  buck  and  a  doe,  which 
I  then  have  carried  to  camp  by  two  of  my  men. 

The  higher  we  climb  the  richer  becomes  the  vegetation. 

357 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

We  follow  a  broad  path  well  trodden  by  many  genera- 
tions of  elephants  and  rhinoceroses.  It  leads  through 
woods  of  shrubs  and  bushes  into  the  cool,  shady  timber 
forest  which  is  criss-crossed  by  numerous  fresh  tracks  of 
those  gigantic  animals.  From  the  bare  top  of  a  moun- 
tain I  can  clearly  distinguish  the  configuration  of  the 
mountain  range,  the  ridges,  the  outlying  hills,  and  the 
highest  peaks.  But  it  would  take  weeks  to  explore  the 
massive  range  of  the  Doenje-Erok.  Marching  along  the 
crest  of  a  mountain,  we  cannot  help  seeing  the  resting- 
places  lately  used  by  rhinoceroses.  While  I  am  on  my 
guard  against  being  suddenly  surprised  by  one  or  several 
of  them,  my  rifle-carrier  whispers  to  me,  "Umbogo, 
bwana!"  (buffaloes,  master!)  He  had  mistaken  a  small 
herd  of  large  eland  antelopes  for  buffaloes.  I  kill  a 
mighty  bull  which  it  takes  eight  of  my  men  to  carry  to 
the  camp. 

Heading  the  procession,  I  advance  with  the  twelve 
remaining  men  into  the  forest,  forcing  my  way  through 
the  thick  underwood,  when  I  become  aware  of  a  rhinoc- 
eros which  has  been  disturbed  by  my  firing.  I  am  by 
no  means  anxious  to  force  an  issue  at  such  close  quarters 
— the  animal  is  only  ninety  feet  away — and  I  am  glad 
to  see  it  trotting  clumsily  downhill. 

In  the  thick  underwood  we  notice  one  resting-place 
of  rhinoceroses  after  the  other,  and  we  must  proceed 
with  a  great  deal  of  caution.  Vines  growing  up  on  the 
tree -trunks  and  beard -grass   hanging  down  from  the 

358 


> 
If. 


359 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

branches  impede  our  progress  considerably.  Once  in 
a  while  we  catch,  through  some  opening,  glimpses  of 
the  sun-bathed  steppe  far  below.  Aside  from  bush- 
bucks  and  small  duikers,  we  hardly  come  upon  any 
antelopes.  Our  path  is  crossed  again  and  again  by 
rhinoceroses,  which,  fortunately,  do  not  feel  in  an  ag- 
gressive mood,  but  run  away.  We  spend  a  well-earned 
half-hour  of  rest  sitting  on  a  projecting  rock,  from  which 
we  have  a  splendid  view  of  the  steppe  below.  Ahead 
of  us  rises  a  mountain -top,  our  next  resting-place  if  we 
get  there  alive. 

Again  we  plunge  into  the  thick  underwood,  which 
after  a  while  becomes  so  tangled  up  with  vines  from 
below  and  parasite  tree  -  moss  from  above  that  we 
have,  at  times,  to  crawl  through  narrow  openings  in 
this  jungle.  Pushing  my  way  slowly  through  the  en- 
tanglement, I  suddenly  hear  the  familiar  snort  of  a 
rhinoceros  close  at  hand.  Before  I  have  even  time  to 
realize  the  danger  which  threatens  the  beast  is  upon 
me.  Instinctivelv  I  pull  the  trigger  and  the  animal 
drops  dead,  shot  in  the  ear.  The  very  same  moment 
its  two  companions  rush  past  me.  Suddenly  they  stop, 
but  only  a  moment,  and  then  they  stumble  downhill, 
breaking  noisily  through  the  underwood.  Had  they 
taken  it  into  their  heads  to  charge  me,  I  could  not  have 
escaped  death. 

My  natives  had  disappeared  as  if  the  earth  had  swal- 
lowed them.     Now  they  creep  up  to  me,  their  faces 

360 


STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

expressing  consternation  and  fear.  They  implore  me 
not  to  go  farther  on  this  dangerous  ground,  which 
even  the  Wandorobbo  and  Wakamba  avoid.  But  I  in- 
sist on  going  on,  making,  however,  a  very  important 
concession  for  the  sake  of  my  own  safety  as  well  as 
theirs.  To  scare  the  animals  away  which  may  block 
our  path,  I  discharge  my  rifle  at  long  intervals.  In 
spite  of  this  sacrifice  of  valuable  ammunition,  I  am  al- 
most run  down  by  three  rhinoceroses,  who  refuse  to  be 
scared  by  my  shooting.  Two  I  kill  by  lucky  shots  in 
the  neck,  the  third,  fortunately,  does  not  charge,  but 
runs  away. 

Now  my  natives  positively  refuse  to  go  on,  and  I, 
myself,  am  completely  unnerved.  We  descend  into  a 
glen  to  spend  the  night  near  a  small  brook.  Suddenly 
the  clouds,  which  have  been  floating  in  the  blue  sky, 
gather  for  a  short  time  and  discharge  their  surplus 
moisture  in  a  shower.  A  big  fire  is  lighted  to  keep  off 
rhinoceroses  and  other  animals,  and  all  of  us  except 
the  guards  lie  down  to  rest.  The  fatigues  of  the  day 
and  the  pure  and  cool  mountain  air  soon  put  us  soundly 
to  sleep,  Ijut  two  or  three  times  during  the  night  we  are 
rudely  awakened  by  the  snort  of  rhinoceroses  which 
seem  to  resent  our  intrusion  into  their  domain. 

Next  morning  we  start  on  our  way  back  to  the  camp 
down  the  precipitous  southern  slope  of  the  mountain. 
I  observe  the  gradual  transition  of  the  mountain  fauna 
and  flora  into  those  of  the  steppe.     We  come  down  to 

361 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

the  region  of  the  kHpspringer  and  the  dassy,  and  also 
meet  two  large  herds  of  baboons.  Having  done  all  the 
shooting  of  quadrupeds  I  want,  I  now  pay  attention 
to  the  birds  and  secure  a  few  white -crested  turakoos. 

Half-way  down  I  stop  and  search  the  steppe  below 
us  with  my  field-glass.  I  can  only  make  out  a  number 
of  moving  dots,  big  herds  of  game  no  doubt.  A  few 
hundred  feet  lower  we  meet  large  numbers  of  gnus, 
zebras,  impallahs,  etc.,  going  to  their  drinking-places. 

I  had  often  climbed  into  the  mountains  of  the  Doenje- 
Erok  la  Matumbato  range.  But  I  have  resolved  that 
this  expedition  is  to  be  the  last.  I  feel  some  compunc- 
tion at  having  again  killed  a  number  of  rhinoceroses, 
for  self-protection  to  be  sure,  and  yet  to  no  legitimate 
purpose.  Besides,  if  I  should  go  on  visiting  this  moun- 
tain region,  I  would  surely  find  my  death  here  sooner 
or  later,  for  I  cannot  forever  depend  on  chance  to  rescue 
me  out  of  the  very  jaws  of  death. 

What  I  am  telling  here  of  the  Doenje-Erok,  regarding 
the  number  of  "pharus"  met  with  by  the  hunter, 
holds  good  also  of  the  other  mountain  ranges  of  the 
Masai-Nyika  and  Ndasekera.  In  this  my  report  agrees 
with  the  statements  of  Thomson,  Count  Telekis,  Chanler, 
Donaldson  -  Smith,  and  Von  Hoehnel.  They  all  have 
met  in  the  mountainous  regions  numerous  rhinoc- 
eroses. Yet  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing  is  pass- 
ing quickly.  Professor  Volkens,  who  lately  spent  two 
years  botanizing  about  the  Kilimanjaro,  says  that  he 

362 


STALKING    IN    THE    NYIKA 

never  saw  a  rhinoceros.  To  be  sure,  around  and  on  that 
mountain  range  the  reckless  hunting  indulged  in  both 
by  government  officials  and  by  the  Askari,  the  native 
soldiers  in  the  pay  of  the  government,  had  been  carried 
on  for  years  previous  to  the  professor's  visit.  The  first 
commandant  of  Moschi,  Mr.  von  Eltz,  killed  not  less 
than  sixty  two-horned  pachyderms. 

The  final  extermination  of  these  powerful  animals  is 
only  a  question  of  time.     May  that  time  be  far  off. 


XXIX 

ON    THE    STAND    AT    NIGHT 

TO  watch  for  game  at  night  in  the  wilds  of  tropical 
Africa  is  by  no  means  as  attractive  as  it  may  ap- 
pear to  the  imagination  of  a  European  hunter. 

To  take  one's  stand,  or  rather  seat,  in  a  high  tree  is 
often  impracticable,  to  do  so  on  the  level  ground  is  not 
very  promising,  because,  if  the  wind  be  unfavorable, 
most  animals  will  scent  the  hunter  and  avoid  the  am- 
bush. The  best  and  most  sportsmanlike  way  is,  no 
doubt,  to  stalk  the  game  in  the  daytime  notwithstanding 
— or,  should  I  say  on  account  of — the  danger  it  involves. 

Yet  whoever  wishes  to  study  the  wa^^s  and  habits  of 
wild  animals  must  undergo  the  hardship  of  spending 
some  sleepless  nights  in  the  thicket.  The  numerous  in- 
sects— ants,  for  instance — will  keep  him  wide-awake, 
and,  though  he  may  not  be  successful  as  a  hunter,  the 
insight  into  the  night  life  of  many  animals  will  fully 
repay  him  for  his  trouble. 

I  have  yielded  to  the  fascination  of  such  night  watches 
many  times,  and,  like  Count  Coudenhove,  in  Somali- 
land,  so  did  I  in  the  East  African  jungles  "learn  to  be 
afraid." 

364 


ON   THE   STAND    AT    NIGHT 

Will  the  reader  follow  me  to  my  stand? 

It  has  been  well  prepared  in  a  thorn  thicket,  into 
which  even  a  lion  will  hardly  be  able  to  penetrate. 
An  entrance  has  been  cut  into  it,  and  three  small  cir- 
cular openings  have  been  made  for  me  to  pass  through, . 
if  an  opportunity  should  present  itself.  I  have  chosen 
this  stand,  not  far  from  a  drinking-place,  which  is— as 
the  tracks  tell  me  —  frequented  not  only  by  ordinary 
game,  but  also  by  lions  and  even  rhinoceroses.  At 
break  of  night  I  take  my  stand  with  a  reliable  native. 
The  entrance  is  securely  blocked  by  means  of  thorny 
brushwood.  Soon  three  spurred  partridges  come  fly- 
ing ;  they  see  us  and  flutter  aw^ay .  Strings  of  pigeons  flit 
to  and  fro,  to  drink  and  to  settle  down  for  the  night  on 
trees  and  bushes. 

The  sun  has  set,  but  the  light  of  the  moon,  brighter  in 
the  tropics  than  in  the  higher  latitudes,  enables  us  to 
distinguish  the  objects  around  us.  I  see  that  the  bull — 
already  doomed  to  die  by  the  sting  of  the  tsetse-fly — 
which  is  fastened  as  bait  to  a  tree,  has  calmed  dow^n 
and  is  eating  his  allowance  of  dry  grass.  In  the  tops 
of  some  trees  near  by  a  family  of  galagoes  have  made 
their  temporary  home.  The  laughing  cry  of  these  long- 
tailed  lemurs  is  heard  from  time  to  time  all  through 
the  night.  An  hour  has  gone  by.  A  herd  of  antelopes 
pass  us  on  their  way  to  the  drinking-place.  They  are 
watcr-l:)ucks.  They  drink  their  fill  and  disappear  again. 
Though  I  begin  to  feel  tired  and  slee])y,  I  force  myself 

365 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

to  keep  awake,  and  I  also  arouse  my  black  companion, 
in  order  to  stop  his  loud  snoring.  It  is  hard  to  fight 
sleep,  for  nothing  engages  my  attention  however  in- 
tently I  watch  the  neighborhood  through  the  three 
loop-holes  in  the  thicket.  Nothing?  Through  the  open- 
ing on  my  right  I  faintly  distinguish  a  black,  massive 
something  moving  slowly  in  my  direction.  Now  the 
huge  mass  divides  in  two.  The  moon,  shedding  more 
light  on  the  mysterious  apparition,  reveals  to  me  two 
full-grown  rhinoceroses.  They  pass  my  stand  within 
three  hundred  feet,  but  not  without  hesitating  a  few 
minutes,  for  they  have  scented  our  presence.  They 
proceed  to  the  drinking-place.  For  some  time  I  hear 
them  splashing  about  in  the  water.  It  is  remarkable, 
how  noiselessly  these  gigantic  animals  are  able  to  move 
along,  so  that  even  the  keenest  human  ear  can  hardly 
hear  them  coming. 

Again  hours  pass  by  without  further  incidents.  A 
few  jackals  are  howling  in  the  distance  and  the  galagoes 
in  the  tree-tops  utter  their  peculiar  laugh.  Suddenly 
the  bull  shows  signs  of  fear  and  bellows  twice.  Quick 
as  lightning  a  grayish  animal  glides  past  the  thicket, 
and  the  next  moment  bull  and  lion  roll  on  the  ground. 
At  last  my  patience  is  rewarded.  I  have  a  capital 
chance  to  kill  the  king  of  beasts  as  soon  as  I  can  make 
him  out  in  the  entangled  mass  on  the  ground.  I  raise 
my  rifle,  take  aim  —  then  the  moon  is  obscured  by 
a  passing  bank  of  clouds  and  everything  is  wrapped 

366 


o 

w 

H 
> 

r 

5 
> 

o 


307 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

in  densest  darkness.  I  cannot  distinguish  anything, 
neither  the  bull  nor  the  lion,  but  my  keen  hearing  dis- 
cerns the  snarl  and  growl  of  two  lions.  Another  one, 
no  doubt,  has  approached  the  bull  from  the  farther 
side.  I  hear  them  tearing  the  flesh  and  crunching  the 
bones  of  their  prey.  The  yelling  and  laughing  of  the 
monkeys  in  the  tree-tops  sound  like  mockery. 

To  shoot  in  the  darkness  would  be  senseless.  Noth- 
ing disturbs  the  lions  at  their  meal. 

At  last  the  light  of  the  moon  breaks  through  the 
clouds  and  afl:ords  me  the  longed-for  opportunity  of 
placing  a  shot.  But  it  is,  unfortunately,  not  a  telling 
shot,  though  I  may  have  wounded  one  of  the  lions.  At 
all  events  they  have  escaped  and  are  lost  to  me.  To 
be  sure,  three  days  later,  my  men  found  the  skeleton  of 
a  lioness  whose  flesh  had  been  devoured  by  hyenas  and 
vultures. 

Morning  dawns  and  I  return  to  my  camp,  tired  out 
after  this  sleepless  night,  bitten  all  over  by  mosquitoes. 
The  next  two  days  I  spent  in  bed  with  an  attack  of 
malaria.  However  attractive  such  a  stand  in  night- 
time may  be,  from  the  point  of  view  of  an  observer  of 
animal  life,  the  true  sportsman  does  not  like  to  kill  from 
a  safe  retreat,  but  prefers  the  more  exciting  and  more 
perilous  method  of  stalking  his  game  and  of  facing  danger. 

Often,  too,  he  catches  nothing  but  a  spell  of  the 
treacherous  malarial  fever,  as  I  did  on  my  stand  at 
night,  which  I  have  just  described. 

368 


XXX 

TRAVELLING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

NO  doubt  many  of  my  readers  will  be  astonished  to 
learn  that  the  best  method  of  moving  one's  goods 
of  all  kinds  on  expeditions  into  the  interior  of  Africa  is 
by  carrier  and  not  by  beasts  of  burden.  Experienced 
travellers  have  told  me  that  they  would  not  use  camels 
if  they  could,  but  preferred  the  human  carrier. 

To  appreciate  the  justice  of  this  view,  which  I  fully 
share,  one  must  know  by  experience  how  simple  and 
much  more  efficient  transportation  is  by  human  agency 
than  by  beasts  of  burden,  considering  the  climatic  and 
topographical  conditions  of  tropical  East  Africa. 

Some  of  the  East  African  tribes  furnish  ideal  carriers ; 
they  are  willing,  devoted,  like  children,  to  their  master, 
patient  and  strong,  carrying  sixty  pounds  or  more,  day 
after  day,  without  a  murmur. 

The  late  Baron  Carlo  Erlanger  and  Oscar  Neumann 
have  both  written  about  the  difficulties  of  travelling 
with  camels  and  mules  in  Somaliland.  The  camel  is 
the  ideal  beast  of  burden  for  desert  plains,  with  a  uni- 
form dry  climate,  but  is  not  adapted  to  countries  like 

24  369 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT   AND    RIFLE 

East  Africa,  with  its  contrasts  of  conformation  and  cli- 
mate. Other  beasts  of  burden  known  to  us  —  horses, 
mules,  cattle,  etc. — are  out  of  the  question  in  East  Africa. 
The  unhealthy  climate  and  the  sting  of  the  tsetse-fly 
would  carry  them  off  quickly. 

Railroads  will  hardly  ever  supplant  the  native  car- 
riers, as  they  are,  and  always  will  be,  few  and  far  be- 
tween. On  the  native  carriers,  then,  we  must  place 
our  reliance  if  we  wish  to  start  on  an  expedition  of  ad- 
venture or  scientific  discovery.  They  know  the  regular 
caravan  roads  so  well,  by  experience  and  information, 
that  they  can  time  the  day  and  hour  when  the  caravan 
will  reach  the  different  stations.  But  when  a  caravan, 
like  my  own,  leaves  the  beaten  track  to  penetrate  into 
the  pathless  and  uninhabited  interior  of  the  steppe,  then 
there  are  difficulties  and  obstacles  to  be  overcome,  and 
emergencies  to  be  dealt  with,  of  which  the  ordinary 
traveller  has  no  idea. 

One  of  the  greatest  problems  with  which  we  have  to 
wrestle  is  that  of  provisioning  the  caravan.  Aside  from 
the  regular  load  of  sixty  pounds,  and  his  cooking-uten- 
sils and  general  personal  outfit,  a  native  can  carry  vege- 
table food  for  not  more  than  fourteen  to  twenty  days. 

This  question  must  be  settled  at  the  start  or  else  the 
expedition  is  doomed  to  certain  failure. 

The  water  supply  is  an  equally  important  question, 
particularly  during  the  dry  season,  when  a  man  cannot 
be  expected  to  go  without  drinking  for  more  than  a 

370 


o 


371 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

day.  Drinking-places,  flowing  water,  or  pools  have  to 
be  reached  at  least  every  second  day. 

In  the  good  old  time  caravans  crossed  the  steppe  pro- 
viding food  by  killing  game  as  they  went  along.  As  soon 
as  the  tents  were  pitched  all  went  out  to  hunt  antelopes 
and  other  animals.  I  made  it  a  point  that  everv  one 
of  my  men  should  eat  every  day  a  certain  amount  of 
vegetable  food  besides  meat.  This  rule  I  carried  out 
in  spite  of  the  enormous  expense,  even  in  the  famine 
year,  1899-1900.  As  I  could  not  secure  enough  of  the 
desired  food  in  the  country  through  which  I  travelled, 
I  carried  with  me  a  large  supply  of  Indian  rice,  which 
had  to  be  replenished  from  time  to  time  by  sending 
small  detachments  of  carriers  back  to  the  stations  or 
even  to  the  coast. 

In  ordinary  times  maize  or  beans  may  be  obtained 
from  the  natives  living  within  more  or  less  easy  reach. 

It  takes  some  time  to  fit  out  such  an  expedition  into 
the  interior  with  a  caravan  of  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  men.  All  the  material  has  to  be  judiciously 
divided  into  loads  of  about  sixty  pounds,  each  man  has 
to  be  assigned  as  carrier  or  as  guard,  and  the  guards 
have  to  be  instructed  and  drilled.  The  disposition  and 
packing  of  my  apparatus  and  chemicals  must  be  attend- 
ed to  with  particular  care.  Many  important  things 
have  to  be  taken  along  in  double  quantities  packed  in 
different  loads,  in  case  one  should  be  lost  or  spoiled  in 
crossing  rivers  or  in  other  ways.     At  last  the  "safari" 

372 


CARAVAN    TRAVERSING    A    MOUNTAIN    PASS 


373 


"WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

starts  on  its  march.  The  mileage  is  increased  by  de- 
grees to  eighteen  miles  a  day.  Most  of  my  men  have 
been  with  me  before,  or  are  well  recommended  as  trusty 
and  efficient.  There  are,  however,  a  few  who  will  sud- 
denly disappear  leaving  their  loads  behind,  but  keeping 
the  advance  pay.  These  "wapagazi"  must  be  caught, 
if  possible,  and  punished,  for  discipline's  sake,  and  their 
places  must  be  filled. 

If  one  travels  as  a  collector,  the  whole  caravan  is 
often  busy  for  days  preparing  the  skins  of  birds  and 
animals.  Particularly  hard  to  prepare  are  the  hides 
of  buffaloes,  giraffes,  elephants,  and  rhinoceroses.  All 
the  specimens  have  to  be  labelled,  carefully  packed,  and 
sent  to  the  coast  by  experienced  carriers,  who,  after 
weeks — or  months — return  with  fresh  supplies  of  food 
or  other  necessaries. 

The  master  of  the  caravan  must,  at  all  times,  not 
only  see  to  everything,  even  the  smallest  detail,  but  be 
ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  every  man.  Only  in 
this  way  does  he  gain  the  respect,  the  good-will,  and  af- 
fection of  his  men. 

But  there  are  obstacles  and  difficulties  not  of  man's 
making  which  every  explorer  and  traveller  has  to 
make  the  best  of.  There  is  the  poisonous  tsetse -fly, 
whose  sting  kills  animals  which  the  traveller  has  taken 
along — riding-mules,  asses,  and  cattle.  Diseases,  too, 
will  attack  not  only  beast  but  also  man.  Small-pox  is 
apt  to  accompany  famines.     In  1899  I  passed  through 

374 


TRAVELLING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

some  settlements  of  natives  where  the  "ndui"  had 
claimed  its  victims.  After  a  few  weeks  I  noticed  a 
small,  dark  pustule  on  my  left  hand.  I  thought  it  came 
from  using  arsenic  in  preparing  the  skins  of  animals. 
When  I  showed  it  to  my  taxidermist,  Orgeich,  he  calmly 
said,  "  Small-pox."  One  of  my  men  had  caught  the  dis- 
ease, and  they  had  kept  him  out  of  my  sight  in  order 
not  to  frighten  me.  I  had  him  isolated  and  speedily 
cured. 

Another  source  of  annoyance  is  dysentery,  especial- 
ly when  a  whole  caravan  is  infected  with  it  by  drinking 
impure  water  from  some  stagnant  steppe  pool. 

I  have  suffered  from  it  twice  myself  and  know  how 
difficult  is  a  thorough  cure  and  how  easy  is  a  relapse. 
No  wonder  that  it  is  dreadsd  far  more  than  malarial 
fever.  It  may  break  up  an  expedition  if  it  occurs  in  a 
violent  form.  "Amekufu,  Bwana!"  (he  is  dead!)  the 
leader  of  the  caravan  often  reports  of  a  patient.  The 
best  thing  to  do  is  to  change  the  drinking-place  as 
quickly  as  possible.  Often  nature  will  cure  where  the 
physician's  art  fails.  One  of  my  best  carriers  fell  ill 
and  was  treated  by  two  European  doctors  who  were, 
for  a  time,  with  my  caravan.  Finally  he  refused  to 
take  their  drugs,  and  after  a  fortnight  he  was  well 
again. 

Malaria  is  another  enemy  to  man  on  his  travels  in 
East  Africa.  My  men  were  suffering  from  it  more  fre- 
quently near  the  caravan  roads  and  in  settled  districts 

375 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

than  in  the  open,  uninhabited  steppe.  Europeans  and 
natives  from  mountainous  regions  suffer  more  from  it 
than  those  from  the  lowlands,  and  with  them  it  is  very 
apt  to  prove  mortal.  In  certain  camping-places  twenty 
or  more  of  my  men  were  ill  with  the  fever,  but  never 
very  dangerously.  In  1899  I  tried  in  vain  to  induce  a 
number  of  Wapare,  who  live  in  the  Pare  Mountains,  to 
carry  my  collection  of  skins  to  the  coast.  They  loved 
the  money  which  they  might  earn,  but  they  loved 
themselves  much  more.  They  claimed  that  the  sight 
of  the  ocean  would  cause  them  to  die.  At  the  bottom 
of  this  superstition  is,  no  doubt,  the  mountaineer's  fear 
of  the  fever  of  the  steppe. 

The  progress  of  an  expedition  is  often  impeded  when 
sores  of  many  kinds  incapacitate  the  men  to  carry  their 
loads  with  comfort  or  speed.  In  such  cases  application 
of  carbolic  acid  will  often  effect  quick  cures.  When 
the  caravan  has  encamped  for  the  night  or  a  longer  rest 
my  patients  come  to  my  tents  with  the  request,  "  Bwana 
kubwa,  nataka  dana!"  I  never  refuse  a  man  though 
he  may  try  my  patience  when  I  feel  ill  myself  or  tired 
or  have  other  work  on  hand.  Aloe  pills,  dover  pills, 
ipecac,  eye-salve,  or  medicated  cotton  are  given  or 
applied,  and  a  vessel  with  Lysol.  solution  for  bathing 
wounds  and  sores  is  within  reach. 

A  plague  of  recent  importation  into  East  Africa  is 
the  troublesome  sand-flea  {Sarcopsylla  penetrans) .  These 
parasites  were  brought  on  ships  from   South  America 

376 


TRAVELLING   UNDER   DIFFICULTIES 

to  the  coast  of  West  Africa,  whence  they  spread  to  the 
Central  African  lakes.  They  will,  no  doubt,  soon  be 
met  by  the  contingent  which  ever  since  1896  is  working 
its  way  into  the  interior  from  the  East  African  coast. 
They  are  not  only  a  nuisance,  but  a  positive  danger  to 
man  and  animal. 

This  small  flea  selects  the  toes  or  fingers  for  its  attack ; 
it  bores  its  way  into  the  flesh,  growing  there  as  big  as  a 
small  pea,  and  if  not  removed  in  time  may  cause  the 
loss  of  the  member.  The  "fundiya  funza,"  the  sand- 
flea  doctors,  make  a  specialty  of  removing  the  parasites 
patiently  and  almost  painlessly  by  means  of  small 
sticks  of  wood.  One  may  often  see  in  the  infected  dis- 
tricts natives  walking  about  minus  one  or  more  toes. 
The  flea  attacks,  likewise,  monkeys,  dogs,  and  other 
animals.  The  young  rhinoceros  which  I  succeeded  in 
raising  and  shipping  to  the  Berlin  zoological  gardens 
had  almost  daily  to  be  cleaned  of  these  fleas.  I  have 
often  been  forced  to  change  my  camping-place  to  avoid 
them.  They  managed  to  attack  me,  too,  when  I  once 
lay  ill  for  some  days  with  malarial  fever.  One  of 
my  black  boys  removed  as  many  as  seven  from  my 
toes. 

During  certain  times  of  the  year  flies  prove  a  source 
of  annoyance,  though  they  are  not  quite  so  bad  in  East 
Africa  as  in  Somaliland.  In  fact,  only  one  kind  is  a 
nuisance  to  man  and  a  danger  to  certain  animals — 
namely,  the  often-mentioned,  tsetse-fly.     I  found  this 

377 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

insect  everywhere  in  East  Africa,  except  in  the  moun- 
tainous regions,  and  its  poisonous  sting  is  deadly  to 
horses,  mules,  asses,  and  also  to  cattle,  unless  well 
guarded  and  well  stabled. 

The  tents  of  a  caravan  are  also  frequently  visited  by 
scorpions.  While  their  sting  causes  swellings,  it  is  not 
so  dangerous  by  far  as  is  generally  believed.  The  na- 
tives do  not  seem  to  mind  them  very  much.  I  have 
often  seen  carriers  of  my  caravan  putting  the  reptiles 
on  their  closely  shaven  heads,  and  allowing  them  to 
disport  themselves  there  to  the  great  amusement  of 
the  other  men. 

The  ants  are  a  great  nuisance.  During  a  long  rest 
taken  by  my  caravan,  I  found,  after  a  few  days,  the 
bottom  of  many  cases  full  of  holes  and  many  label- 
strings  bitten  through  by  white  ants.  They  may  even 
become  dangerous  to  life  when  they  surprise,  in  untold 
numbers,  a  sleeping  person.  The  wife  of  a  friend  of 
mine,  a  government  official,  woke  up  one  night  in  her 
tent  to  find  the  bed  and  herself  covered  with  countless 
termites,  in  spite  of  the  mosquito-nets.  Her  shrieks 
attracted  her  colored  servants,  who  pulled  off  her  night- 
gown, and  rolled  her  about  in  the  grass.  They  finally 
succeeded  'in  removing  the  ants  from  their  mistress. 
Many  had  to  be  torn  from  the  hair  and  body.  No 
doubt  the  lady  was  rescued  just  in  time  from  a  pain- 
ful and  horrible  death.  Is  it  to  be  wondered  that  the 
carriers  step  high  and  lively  when  the  cry  of  the  ad- 

378 


TRAVELLING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

vance-guard,  "Siafu,"  warns  them  of  a  swarm  of  ants 
which  is  crossing  the  path  of  the  caravan  ? 

Snakes  in  East  Africa  are  neither  so  plentiful  nor  so 
dangerous  as,  for  instance,  in  India,  where  a  reward  is 
paid  for  the  skins  of  poisonous  ophidians.  On  all  my 
African  expeditions  I  lost  but  two  men  who  were  bit- 
ten by  vipers.  Of  course,  the  travelling  carriers  are  less 
exposed  to  poisonous  snakes  than  natives  working  on 
plantations. 

In  the  chapter  on  buffaloes  I  have  already  mentioned 
the  numerous  kinds  of  ticks  which,  in  some  districts, 
can  make  life  a  burden  to  a  European,  while  the  tough- 
skinned  natives  are  less  molested  by  them. 

No  doubt,  the  greatest  obstacle  in  the  way  of  coloni- 
zation of  East  Africa  by  Europeans  is  the  malarial  fever, 
which  attacks  the  white  settler,  not  once,  but  periodi- 
cally, wears  him  out,  and  forces  him  back  into  healthier 
climes.  Even  settlers  in  the  mountainous  regions, 
which  are  comparatively  free  from  malaria,  are  exposed 
to  it  on  their  travels  through  the  lower  steppe.  The 
prophylactic  dosing  with  quinine  amounts  almost  to 
driving  out  the  devil  with  the  help  of  Beelzebub.  The 
quinine  is  a  preservative  in  one  direction;  it  is,  however, 
on  the  other  hand,  especially  in  the  tropics,  highly  detri- 
mental to  the  nervous  system.  I  do  not  see  how  any 
one  who  knows  the  facts  can  encourage  immigration, 
on  a  large  scale,  into  the  fever-breeding  districts  of 
East  Africa.     It  is  different  with  the  traveller,  hunter, 

379 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

or  explorer,  who  merely  passes  through  the  country, 
and  knowingly  and  willingly  runs  this  risk  as  well  as 
others  to  satisfy  his  love  of  sport  and  adventure,  or  to 
accomplish  certain  ends  in  the  service  of  science. 

Malarial  fever  prostrated  me  more  than  once,  and 
brought  me  within  an  inch  of  death,  but  even  this  risk 
has  not  been  too  great  to  gain  an  insight  into  the  vir- 
gin life  of  the  nature,  animate  and  inanimate,  on  the 
far-off  steppe  of  Africa.  Often  it  draws  me,  in  spite  of 
all  dangers  and  risks,  with  a  mysterious,  almost  irresist- 
ible power  away  from  our  over-civilization  into  the  sim- 
plicity of  life  in  that  wild  and  virgin  country,  where 
there  is  still  elbow-room  for  a  man  to  move  and  to  em- 
ploy his  own  individuality,  and  where  so  many  scien- 
tific questions  are  waiting  for  investigation  and  solu- 
tion. Many  native  tribes  are  dying  out,  and  with  them 
their  language,  customs,  dress,  weapons,  and  utensils; 
also  their  legends  and  myths.  All  these  treasures  are 
to  be  rescued  from  oblivion  for  their  importance  to 
ethnology.  Also  many  of  the  races  of  animals  are 
doomed,  and  specimens  are  to  be  secured  "  as  long  as 
there  is  time" — as  AVilhelm  Boelsche  and  Ludwig  Heck 
put  it.  And  men  are  needed  with  iron  wills  and  con- 
stitutions of  steel  to  solve  those  questions  and  to  enrich 
our  knowledge  of  the  vanishing  fauna. 

Hans  Meyer  has  graphically  and  minutely  described 
his  experience  in  exploring  the  tropical  mountain  world, 
down  to  the  increased  beating  of  his  heart. 

380 


TRAVELLING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

The  conditio  sine  qua  non  of  travelling  is  a  suffi- 
cient supply  of  water  in  the  countries  in  which  one 
travels.  In  a  pre\'ious  work  I  have  tried  to  depict  the 
torments  caused  by  thirst.  In  the  tropics  water  is  more 
precious  than  gold;  lack  of  water  for  more  than  two 


BURDEN-BEARER    SINKING    IN    THE    SWAMP 


or  three  days  means  death.  It  is  impossible  to  travel 
in  the  heart  of  the  "Dark  Continent"  without  native 
guides,  who  alone  know  the  whereabouts  of  drinking- 
places,  unless  one  follows  the  streams,  rivers,  and 
brooks.  It  is  impossible  to  penetrate  into  the  more 
or    less    known    wilds    of    Africa   by    simply    consult- 

381 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

ing    the    compass,    and    no    one    has    succeeded   in    so 
doing. 

Long  before  the  first  Europeans  set  out  to  explore  the 
"Dark  Continent,"  the  Arabs  had  traversed  it  for  cen- 
turies with  their  caravans,  trading  in  goods  and  slaves, 
and  had  estabhshed  beaten  tracks,  which  later  were  fol- 
lowed by  the  Europeans. 

One  often  finds  native  carriers  and  caravan  guides 
who  know  the  topography  of  Eastern  Africa  from  the 
coast  to  the  Congo:  the  paths,  the  drinking-places,  the 
settlements  of  the  natives,  the  food  which  may  be  pur- 
chased of  them — in  short,  they  know  everything  a  trav- 
eller wants  to  know.  In  w^ell  -  watered  parts  of  the 
country,  or  in  arid  districts  during  the  rainy  season, 
one  does  not  run  much  risk,  but  elsewhere  and  during 
the  dry  season  it  is  suicidal  merely  to  follow  the  mag- 
netic needle  without  competent  guides.  On  my  ex- 
peditions in  the  Masai  highlands,  which  are  little  known 
even  to  the  native  guides,  I  was  more  than  careful  not 
to  get  too  far  aw^ay  from  a  watering-place  before  I  had 
made  sure  of  another  ahead  of  me. 

Sometimes  in  the  rainy  season,  or  at  any  time  in  the 
mountainous  regions,  the  sky  pours  its  treasure  too 
liberally  on  the  traveller  and  his  caravan.  I  passed 
many  a  stormy  night  in  the  high  mountain  districts  of 
the  Masai-Nyika.  Merely  to  think  of  them  makes  me 
shiver.  For  never  in  my  life  did  I  witness  such  a  power- 
ful combination  of  elemental  forces — wind,  water,  and 

,^82 


TRAVELLING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

cold — and  never  did   I   see  such  a  display  of  electric 
phenomena  as  during  those  stormy  nights. 

The  most  terrible  equatorial  storm  which  I  weathered 
raged  one  night  when  I  travelled  in  British  East  Africa, 
on  the  "great  divide"  between  the  Victoria  Nyanza  and 
the  Indian  Ocean.  And  never  shall  I  forget  it.  Added 
to  the  terrors  of  the  storm  was  the  constant  fear  of  a 
surprise  by  the  natives,  who  at  that  time  molested 
the  caravan  road,  which  since  then  has  been  supplanted 
by  a  railroad.  Since  the  English  government  could  not 
police  the  whole  country,  it  limited  itself  to  protecting 
that  road.  The  officer  in  command  at  Fort  Nandi  could 
spare  me  only  eight  Sudanese  Askari.  One  night  we 
were  encamped  near  the  road,  when  suddenly  a  violent 
thunder-storm  began  to  rage,  flooding  our  camp  in  no 
time,  and  carrying  off  part  of  my  cattle,  the  young 
calves,  besides  other  things.  At  the  same  time  a  ter- 
rific whirlwind  uprooted  our  tents.  We  found  but 
scanty  shelter  under  the  wet  linen.  Drenched  to  the 
skin  and  chilled  to  the  marrow,  we  nestled  together  to 
keep  warm.  The  display  of  electricity  was  fearful  and 
grand.  The  whole  atmosphere  was  charged  with  it. 
The  artillery  of  heaven  was  cannonading  ceaselessly; 
one  flash  followed  the  other,  accompanied  by  mighty 
peals  of  thunder,  and  the  rain  poured  down  in  torrents. 
When  it  was  all  over  most  of  my  collection  was  gone  or 
spoiled. 

The  loss  of  the  calves  meant  a  great  deal  to  me.     I 

383 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

had  secured  the  cows  from  a  chief  in  Mumia,  near  the 
Victoria  Nyanza,  giving  a  few  old  suits  of  clothes  for 
them,  as  I  was  in  dire  need  of  fresh  milk,  having  just 
recovered  from  a  severe  attack  of  fever.  The  zebu 
cows — which,  by-the-way,  come  from  India,  as  there 
are  no  African  cattle — can  mostly  be  milked  only  after 
the  calves  have  drawn  some  milk. 

Rain  and  storm  pass  off,  but  the  dampness  remains, 
causing  sickness  among  the  carriers,  who  can  hardly 
endure  the  cold,  damp  air.  Clouds  obscure  the  sky  for 
many  days  after  the  storm,  and  the  caravan  marches 
through  wet  grass  often  reaching  above  the  heads  of 
the  men.  Everything  we  touch  is  soaked  with  moisture 
and  the  food  becomes  mouldy.  Fever  germs  have  a 
fine  chance  to  put  in  their  best  work,  and  many  men 
are  on  the  sick-list  for  days  or  weeks. 

East  Africa,  we  see,  is  a  country  of  sharp  contrasts. 
At  one  time  the  traveller  is  in  danger  of  dying  from  lack 
of  water,  at  another  time  he  runs  the  risk  of  being 
drowned  in  it. 

Sometimes  the  object  of  a  journey  is  defeated  by  lack 
of  information  or  by  inaccurate  intelligence,  as  I  had 
occasion  to  learn  when,  in  1899,  I  made  a  short  journey 
from  Pangani  into  Useguha  in  order  to  hunt  buffaloes. 
I  was  told  they  were  plentiful  there,  although  I  had 
my  doubts,  as  the  coast  districts  of  German  East  Africa 
had  been  visited  that  year  by  a  severe  famine.  These 
famines,  which   are   caused    by   droughts   and   locusts, 

384 


TRAVELLING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

seem  to  occur  at  regular  intervals,  and  they  always 
leave  destitution  and  death  in  their  path.  In  Pangani 
alone  over  one  thousand  natives  died  of  starvation  and 
disease.  The  only  food  available  was  rice,  which  had 
to  be  brought  from  India. 

I  started  on  my  excursion  into  Useguha  on  June 
2 2d.  My  caravan  consisted  of  ninety-five  men,  some  of 
them  anned  guards,  and  a  number  of  asses  and  mules. 
We  took  with  us  thirty  loads  of  rice.  After  crossing 
the  Pangani  River  we  marched  along  the  coast  for 
about  four  hours.  It  was  not  long  before  we  noticed 
signs  of  the  terrible  destruction  the  famine  had  caused. 
We  found  a  few  dead  bodies  of  starved  men  and  the 
cocoanut-trees  eaten  bare  by  locusts. 

Instead  of  a  long  narrative  I  shall  give  an  extract  from 
the  diary  I  kept  during  this  expedition: 

June  24th.  March  of  eight  hours,  by  way  of  Great  and  Small 
Kipumbbui,  to  Uguaia. 

June  25th.  March  of  six  hours  along  the  coast. 

June  26th.  March  to  Parramakarra ;  then  to  Java;  lost  our 
way.  Everywhere  withered  mouma-palms  deprived  of  their 
sap,  the  palm-wine.  Natives  avoid  us.  No  guides  can  be  se- 
cured. 

June  27th.  Start  at  4  a.m.  March  to  Quabigo.  Lost  our 
way.  Through  virgin  forest  and  high  grass.  Spray  like  rain 
all  day.  Wet  to  the  skin.  Pass  a  Wasegua  village.  Huts 
deserted.  Millet  growing  in  the  field.  Other  vegetation  de- 
stroyed by  locusts. 

June  28-3oth.  March  to  a  rocky  hill.  Spray  like  rain.  Tracks 
of  buffaloes  and  eland  antelopes.  Tracks  about  fourteen  days 
old.     Game,  no  doubt,  has  moved  on  to  fresher  grass.     Up  to 

*s  385 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

date  nothing  seen  except  a  few  lemurs  and  a  reedbuck.  Con- 
tinuous rain. 

July  I  St.  March  through  wet  reeds  to  Muega.  In  camp  at 
Quoamadi  after  nine  hours'  march.  Huts  tumbled  down  and 
deserted.  Seventy-eight  inhabitants  starved  to  death.  Rain 
continues. 

July  2d.  March  to  Gambo;  received  by  chief  of  the  village, 
Maka  bin  Ali;  camp  at  Simbirri.  Exchange  of  rice  for  native 
articles,  aprons  (kissamho) ,  hunting-nets,  etc.  Succeed  in  buy- 
ing a  goat. 

July  4th.  From  Sibirri  to  Mseko.  Rainy  and  cold.  Guide 
deserts  us;  we  lose  our  way.  In  the  woods  we  find  a  young 
Mseguha,  lately  killed.  Caravan  marches  till  3  p.m.  I  pro- 
ceed to  Pangani.     Carriers  arrive  the  next  day,  July  5th. 

My  expedition  into  Useguha  had  thus  been  under- 
taken in  vain. 

Aside  from  the  obstacles  and  difficulties  which  I 
have  mentioned,  the  attitude  of  the  native  population 
has  to  be  reckoned  with. 

I  think  I  have  proved  by  my  expeditions  into  the 
thinly  settled  interior  that  it  is  possible  for  a  private 
citizen,  travelling  with  armed  guards,  to  manage  to  get 
along  with  the  natives  peaceably  without  provoking  a 
conflict.  I  have  never  had  any  personal  difficulties  in 
my  intercourse  with  natives.  If  any  of  my  men  ex- 
ceeded the  bounds  which  I  observed  myself,  I  punished 
them  very  severely,  even  for  the  slightest  depredations. 
At  different  times,  however,  I  was  obliged  to  make  use 
of  my  rifles  to  ward  off  attacks  made  on  my  caravans, 
or  to  prevent  the  thieving  Masai  from  stealing  my  cattle. 

386 


TRAVELLING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

Before  describing  a  few  of  my  adventures  in  this 
line  I  want  to  say  that  a  traveller  who,  like  myself, 
does  not  travel  in  an  official  capacity,  protected  by  a 
strong  military  escort,  exposes  himself  to  great  dangers, 
such  as  the  unforeseen  outbreak  of  a  general  rebellion  of 
the  natives  or  sudden  attacks  on  his  caravan.  There  was 
a  time,  not  so  long  ago,  when  it  was  very  difficult  for 
me  to  get  the  permission  to  engage  armed  guards — 
Askari — for  my  caravan.  An  official  once  told  me  that 
he  thought  it  was  perfectly  safe  for  me  to  travel  through 
German  African  territory  with  a  "walking-cane."  An\"- 
how,  if  something  happened  to  me,  my  death  would 
be  avenged.  I  responded  that  I  had  no  doubt  of  that, 
but  that  I  preferred  to  protect  myself  while  living. 
The  government,  of  course,  has  a  right  not  only  to 
forbid  travel  with  armed  guards,  but  even  to  show 
adventurers  of  questionable  character  or  doubtful  mo- 
tives out  of  the  country,  but  it  should  put  no  obsta- 
cles in  the  way  of  experienced  travellers  and  explorers 
who  are  willing  to  furnish  a  guarantee  for  their  good 
behavior.  The  officials  are  not  always  the  best  judges 
whether  the  natives  are  well  or  ill  disposed,  as  the 
events  in  German  West  Africa  go  to  show.  In  1896 
they  had  not  the  faintest  suspicion  that  the  rebellion 
in  East  Africa  was  brewing  which  came  to  a  head  in 
1899. 

In  September,  1896,  the  big  and  well-armed  caravan 
which  I  had  joined  was  encamped  near  the  Meru  moun- 

387 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND   RIFLE 

tain,  a  few  days'  journey  from  the  Kilimanjaro,  where 
the  natives  were  reported  to  be  peaceful  and  friendly. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  neighboring  settlements  Cc^me 
as  usual  to  our  camp,  the  women  to  sell  fruit  and  vege- 
tables, the  men  to  look  around  and  to  chat  with  the 
carriers.  They  were,  however,  silent  and  sullen  when  I 
addressed  them,  and  soon  retired  to  their  banana  groves. 
The  leader  of  our  expedition  being  absent,  my  friend 
Alfred  Kaiser  and  I  were  in  charge  of  the  camp.  Tow- 
ards evening  a  deputation  of  old  men,  led  by  a  negro 
named  "Shimdi,"  a  political  agent  attached  to  Fort 
Moschi,  came  to  the  camp  and  requested  a  conference, 
which  was  granted.  '  Kaiser,  in  whose  tent  the  "  shauri " 
was  held,  and  who  knew  Arabic,  conducted  the  meeting 
through  an  interpreter.  The  natives  informed  us  that 
the  Tvoitomasai  intended  to  attack  the  caravan.  If  we 
wished  it,  they  would  join  forces  with  us  for  our  and 
their  own  defence,  and  they  placed  a  number  of  spear- 
men at  our  disposal,  who  were  to  aid  us  in  garrisoning 
our  camp.  I  remembered  the  sullenness  of  the  natives, 
and  both  Kaiser  and  I  suspected  Mr.  "Shundi"  of 
double-dealing.  We  declined  the  offer  most  politely, 
and,  in  the  hearing  of  the  deputation,  we  instructed 
our  guards  to  be  particularly  watchful  during  the  night 
and  to  be  sure  to  fire  at  any  one  approaching  the  camp. 
We  were  not  molested  that  night.  Upon  reporting  our 
experience  to  the  officials  in  Fort  Moschi,   they  only 

smiled  incredulously. 

388 


TRAVELLING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

Not  long  afterwards  two  missionaries,  Messrs.  Ovis 
and  Seegebrock,  came  to  the  Meru  mountain  to  select 
a  place  for  a  settlement.  With  them  were  the  com- 
mandant of  Fort  Moschi  and  a  strong  detachment  of 
Askari.  They  decided  on  a  spot  on  the  bank  of  a 
brook  Towards  evening  they  were  warned  by  a  wom- 
an to  be  on  their  guard  against  the  natives.  The 
Europeans  disregarded  the  advice,  but  not  so  the  war- 
like and  wary  Sudanese  Askari,  who  kept  awake  with 
rifles  cocked.  Towards  morning  they  heard  a  rustling 
in  the  banana  groves,  and  they  saw  shadowy  forms 
moving  from  cover  to  cover.  Now  they  heard  the  clat- 
ter of  shields  and  spears.  Without  delay  they  fired  a 
few  volleys.  When  the  sun  rose  it  shone  on  the  dead 
bodies  of  thirty  of  the  g,ssailants. 

The  missionaries  had  remained  on  the  farther  bank 
of  the  brook.  A  daring  black  scout  crossed  the  water 
and  soon  brought  the  report  that  the  missionaries  had 
been  killed.  A  punitive  expedition  was  sent,  and  the 
natives  were  pacified  for  a  time. 

Three  years  later  I  was  again  travelling  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  Kilimanjaro  and  the  country  seemed 
quiet  and  peaceful.  The  missionaries  had  not  been 
molested  for  a  long  time.  How  these,  by -the -way, 
expect  to  be  successful,  I  do  not  quite  understand. 
The  comparatively  small  inhabitable  region  of  the 
Kilimanjaro     is    divided    into    eight    districts,    alter- 

389 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND   RIFLE 

riately  given    over    to    Protestant    and    Catholic    mis- 
sions. 

A  short  time  after  my  departure  from  Moschi  my 
camp  was  visited  at  night-time  by  a  number  of  natives. 
A  shot  by  the  guard  scared  them  away  and  alarmed  the 
camp. 

Months  passed  without  any  other  incident  of  this 
kind.  When  I  returned  from  my  expedition  into  the 
interior  of  the  Masai  highland,  in  1899,  and  reached 
Fort  Moschi,  I  found  it  in  a  state  of  actual  war.  The 
night  before  the  natives  had  tried  to  take  the  fort  by 
surprise  but  were  beaten  off.  I  put  my  own  men  at 
the  disposal  of  Lieutenant  Merker,  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  fort.  We  were  on  our  guard  day  and  night,  but 
the  natives,  having  failed  in  their  first  attempt,  did  not 
try  a  second  attack. 

A  punitive  expedition  followed,  nineteen  chiefs  were 
hanged,  and  peace  was  established.  I  think  such  whole- 
sale executions  will  not  achieve  the  purpose  of  terrify- 
ing the  rebelliously  inclined  On  the  contrary,  they  will 
only  sow  the  seeds  of  hatred,  which  some  day  will,  no 
doubt,  bear  the  fruit  of  revenge.  The  native  warriors 
are  brave  and  not  afraid  of  death.  A  warrior  of  the 
Meru  mountain  tribes,  who  was  told  how  senseless  it 
was  to  expect  to  vanquish  the  Europeans,  with  their 
fire-arms,  simply  said,  "  I  know  nothing  of  the  Euro- 
peans; I  only  know  myself,  my  spear,  my  wives,  and 
my  cattle." 

390 


TRAVELLING    UNDER    DIFFICULTIES 

One  of  the  condemned  chiefs,  Meli,  did  not  wait  until 
the  board  platform  of  his  gallows  was  drawn  from  under 
him;  calling  out  to  the  commandant,  "  Kwaheri  Bwana," 
he  removed  the  support  himself,  and  met  his  death  like 
a  warrior,  fearlessly. 

And  again,  four  years  later,  in  the  fall  of  1903,  I 
was  travelling  in  the  steppe  far  beyond  the  Kilimanjaro 
with  a  caravan  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  men.  My 
armament  consisted  of  thirty  breech-loading  rifles.  Al- 
most on  the  very  spot  where  I  was  encamped,  Masai- 
El  Morane  had,  a  year  before,  massacred  a  caravan 
consisting  of  three  Greek  traders  and  their  carriers  and 
had  appropriated  the  cattle.  I  was,  therefore,  not  very 
much  pleased  when  the  spearmen  came  in  considerable 
numbers  to  my  camp.  When  I  limited  the  visitors  to 
ten  at  a  time,  they  all  disappeared.  I  knew  they  had 
no  grudge  against  me  personally,  and  were  only  after 
my  cattle,  but  I  determined  to  be  very  watchful.  On 
August  20th  my  caravan  proceeded  on  a  forced  march. 
Towards  evening  we  pitched  our  tents  on  the  hilly 
ground  of  the  steppe.  Around  our  ninety  head  of  cattle 
I  had  a  close  fence  constructed  out  of  the  thorny  branch- 
es of  acacia  and  terminalia.  The  baggage  was  put  to- 
gether; my  carriers  stretched  themselves  out  near  by 
and  soon  were  soundly  sleeping.  My  armed  guards 
were  asleep  near  a  special  fire,  and  the  sentinels  made 
their  rounds  faithfully.  I  could  depend  on  their  watch- 
fulness and  went  to  sleep. 

391 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

In  the  middle  of  the  night,  an  alarm-shot  aroused  us. 
The  Masai  had  followed  us  into  the  steppe,  but,  finding 
us  on  our  guard,  they  fled  and  kept  at  a  safe  distance. 
We  spent  the  rest  of  the  night  watching  the  enemy. 
My  well  -  drilled  carriers  lay  fiat  on  the  ground,  the 
guards  and  I  formed  a  square,  and  whenever  we  heard 
a  noise  of  weapons  we  fired  in  the  direction  whence  it 
came.  No  doubt  we  owed  our  lives  to  the  watchfulness 
of  the  sentinels. 

The  Masai,  as  a  rule,  do  not  intend  to  kill  the  men  of 
a  caravan  but  to  steal  the  cattle.  They  do  not  hesitate, 
however,  to  slaughter  all  who  resist  them,  unless  they 
find  they  are  outnumbered  or  outwitted.  They  are 
certainly  brave,  but  I  have  never  seen  a  Masai  war- 
rior with  shield  and  spear  in  the  open  field  face  a  Euro- 
pean with  a  breech-loading  rifle.  My  plan  to  have  a  few 
rifles  and  Mauser  pistols  handy,  near  my  couch,  and  to 
have  my  armed  guards  camp  together  with  their  arms 
in  readiness,  is  a  good  one  if  one  travels  among  the 
natives  of  Africa.  I  believe  in  treating  them  kindly 
and  fairly,  but  also  in  keeping  one's  powder  dry. 

.  Shortly  before  the  attack  v/hich  I  have  just  described 
was  made  on  my  camp,  I  had  a  strange  adventure  with 
some  Masai  warriors.  I  meant  to  take  a  picture  of 
vultures  devouring  carrion.  To  this  end  I  had  a  pit  dug 
some  distance  from  my  camp  and  had  it  covered,  in 
tentlike  fashion,  with  a  piece  of  brown  cloth.  I  took  my 
stand  in  the  pit,  and  some  carrion  was  placed  to  attract 

392 


TRAVELLING   UNDER   DIFFICULTIES 

the  birds.  After  I  had  waited  in  vain  for  a  few  hours, 
I  saw  a  number  of  Masai,  who,  to  judge  from  their 
make-up,  were  on  the  war-path,  approach  my  hiding- 
place  on  tiptoes.  One  of  them  made  ready  to  explore 
the  strange  structure  with  his  pointed  spear,  when 
suddenly  they  all  took  to  their  heels.  My  men  in  the 
camp  had  seen  them  and  were  running  to  my  aid,  thus 
driving  the  warriors  away.  All  our  efforts  to  find  them 
were  fruitless. 

The  Masai  are  not  only  very  clever  cattle  thieves, 
they  are  also  the  best  cattle  drivers  I  ever  saw  or  heard 
of.  I  once  tried  to  follow  up  a  number  of  Masai  whom 
I  saw  driving  a  herd  of  cattle  from  Useguha  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  Sogoni  Mountains.  They  were  about  a 
mile  away  from  us  across  a  small  valley.  We  crossed 
it  to  get  nearer  to  them,  but  when  we  emerged  on  the 
other  side  the  cattle  thieves  had  vanished.  But,  aside 
from  their  thievish  propensity,  even  the  Masai  are  not, 
as  a  rule,  hostile  when  justly  and  fairly  treated.  I  am 
almost  sure  that  if  matters  come  to  a  bloody  issue  be- 
tween travellers  and  natives  that  the  first  are  largely 
to  blame.  The  least  expensive  way  of  travelling  is  to 
act  according  to  the  principle — war  supports  war.  No 
doubt  many  expeditions  in  the  good  old  time  were 
"self-supporting"  enterprises.  The  easiest  thing  in  the 
world  is  to  pick  up  a  fight  if  you  wish  it,  and  to  have 
the  semblance  of  right  on  your  side.  An  arrow  flies 
your  way.      No  doubt  it  is  poisoned,  and  is  sent  by 

393 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND   RIFLE 

some  treacherous  native  of  the  neighboring  village.  A 
volley  is  fired  in  answer  to  the  shot.  The  natives  who 
have  a  bad  conscience  forsake  their  homes,  which  are 
plundered  by  the  "victors,"  who,  well-provisioned,  con- 
tinue their  march,  on  which  they  are  supported  by  the 
spoils  of  the  "enemy."  Nothing  is  easier  in  the  world 
— and  cheaper. 

But  if  you  want  to  pay  your  way  as  you  go  along, 
you  have  to  take  with  you  loads  of  goods  for  exchange. 
In  times  of  drought  and  famine  you  have  to  pay  dearer 
than  in  normal  times,  as  the  natives  sell  you  what  they 
need  most  to  subsist  on  until  the  next  crop  is  ripe. 

My  expedition  in  the  year  of  the  famine  (1899- 
1900)  was  my  most  expensive  one,  as  I  held  my  men 
to  a  mixed  diet  consisting  largely  of  vegetable  food, 
"poscho,"  with  a  small  allowance  of  game. 

It  is  still  possible  to  travel  in  East  Africa  with  com- 
parative safety,  and  the  native  carriers  are  still  patient 
and  obedient  companions  of  the  traveller  who  treats 
them  well.  There  are  a  few  things  of  which  I  feel 
I  have  a  right  to  be  proud;  one  of  them  is  that  I 
have  never  found  it  necessary  to  shed  the  blood  of  a 
black  man. 


XXXI 

GAME     LAWS    AND     THE     PROTECTION     OF     WILD     ANIMALS 

THE  international  conference  for  the  protection  of 
the  African  fauna,  which  was  held  in  London,  has 
passed  a  number  of  resolutions  as  a  basis  for  game  laws 
to  be  so  formulated  as  to  suit  the  conditions  of  the  dif- 
ferent sections  of  the  "Dark  Continent." 

I  must  frankly  confess  that  I  do  not  approve  the 
prevailing  classification  of  animals  into  the  useful  and 
the  harmful.  Man  interferes  far  too  radically  with  the 
laws  of  nature.  He  proscribes  animals  which  inter- 
fere with  his  special  pursuit  and  tries  to  exterminate 
them.  Regarding  the  wild  animals,  or  rather  the  ani- 
mals of  the  wilderness,  the  devotees  of  Diana  have  laid 
down  the  laws  which  they  consider  fixed  for  all  time. 
Hunters  and  fishermen  in  Europe  wage  war  against 
certain  species,  which  they  have  put  down  as  animals 
of  prey,  although  they  are  in  reality  less  harmful  to  the 
community  at  large  than  the  game  is  to  the  agricultural 
interests  of  certain  districts.  And  yet  the  farmer  is  not 
allowed  to  kill  the  game  at  sight,  as  he  often  would  like 
to  do.  The  game  laws  in  civilized  countries  protect  a 
number  of  quadrupeds  and  birds. 

395 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

But,  although  the  woods  and  fields  are  fairly  well 
patrolled  by  the  official  guardians,  the  laws  are  often 
evaded  by  poachers  and  by  licensed  hunters. 

How  can  one  hope  to  protect  the  animals  in  Africa 
against  European  hunters,  who,  for  the  most  part,  know 
little  of  hunting  and  less  of  the  nature  of  the  hunted 
animals,  and  are,  as  a  rule,  anything  but  true  sports- 
men? If  the  colonial  governments  of  Africa  really 
wish  to  prevent  the  total  destruction  of  the  African 
fauna,  then  they  must  not  be  satisfied  with  merely 
issuing  prohibitory  laws  which  cannot  be  enforced  in 
their  vast  territory,  but  they  must  follow  in  the  foot- 
steps of  the  English,  who  have  approached  the  solution 
of  the  problem  with  their  usual  practical  common-sense. 
The  British  government  has  undertaken  to  protect 
many  specimens  of  the  African  fauna  by  establishing 
preserves  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  railroad  lines  un- 
der the  supervision  of  its  officials.  This  system  has 
worked  very  well,  and  is  also  to  be  recommended  to  the 
German  East  African  government. 

For  a  long  time  the  sportsman-hunter  was  proclaimed 
by  books  and  newspapers  to  be  the  great  malefactor, 
the  destroyer  of  the  rich  African  fauna.  The  sports- 
man, in  the  only  true  sense  of  the  word,  is  responsible 
for  an  infinitely  small  percentage  of  the  havoc  wrought 
on  the  African  animal  world.  The  real  culprits  are:  the 
traders,  whose  caravans  feed  on  game;  the  would-be 
settlers,  who,  on  principle,  kill  everything  in  sight;  the 

396 


> 
O 

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C/) 

> 
JO 

a 


397 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

Askari,  who  fire  at  animals  to  perfect  their  rifle-shooting; 
the  natives,  who  have  been  supplied  with  fire-arms  and 
use  them  in  the  service  of  traders  or  to  pay  their  taxes 
with  furs  or  hides  or  teeth,  and  others,  but  least  of  all 
the  sportsman-hunter. 

Before  the  Europeans  put  their  foot  into  virgin 
countries,  the  natives  and  the  animals  existed  both  in 
large  numbers  and  side  by  side.  The  animals  them- 
selves, beasts  of  prey  and  harmless  beasts,  had  been 
living  for  untold  ages  in  the  same  parts  of  the  vast 
country.  The  white  man  took  with  him  his  idea  of 
harmful  and  useful  animals,  and  has  been  busy  killing 
the  first  without  protecting  or  preserving  the  latter. 

Laws  for  the  preservation  of  elephants,  while  con- 
sidered generally  applicable  to  mere  sportsmen,  have 
been  considered  an  impediment  to  traders,  who  in  some 
way  or  other  manage  to  circumvent  inconvenient  laws. 

At  the  instigation  of  the  London  conference,  a  law 
was  passed  by  some  governments  preventing  the  ex- 
portation of  elephant  tusks  under  ten  pounds  each. 
"On  y  mettra  du  plomb!"  said  a  Congo  trader,  laconi- 
cally, and  a  way  was  found  of  evading  the  law.  Ger- 
man Kamerun  has  exported,  within  the  last  decade,  nine 
hundred  thousand  pounds  of  ivory  without  collecting 
an  export  duty,  which  is  in  other  colonies  ten  to  fifteen 
per  cent.,  and  Great  Britain  and  Germany  collect  no 
duty  on  the  import  of  ivory.  Who  can  say  how  many 
tusks  of  female  elephants,  made  to  weigh  ten  pounds 

398 


z 

o 

b 

o 

s 

> 


> 

5» 


399 


"WITH   FLASH-LIGHT   AND   RIFLE 

by  pouring  molten  lead  in  their  cavity,  have  passed  the 
custom-houses  without  difficulty  ? 

The  question,  Which  animals  are  harmful  and  which 
are  not?  becomes  more  and  more  acute  for  Africa  the 
larger  the  area  of  cultivated  land  grows  and  the  more 
definitive  the  laws  become  regarding  certain  kinds  of 
animals  to  be  protected  and  preserved. 

Elephants  and  hippopotami  are,  no  doubt,  harmful 
to  the  plantations.  And  yet  the  tolerant  natives  of 
India  have  not  exterminated  the  wild  elephant. 

Hippopotami  are  particularly  harmful  by  their  whole- 
sale devastations,  which  occur  chiefly  at  night.  A  single 
visit  by  one  or  two  of  these  "river-horses"  can  ruin  a 
whole  plantation.  No  wonder  that  European  settlers 
are  not  willing  to  spare  them! 

Elephants,  also,  are  able  to  do  considerable  damage 
to  plantations,  especially  at  night,  but  they  have  with- 
drawn more  and  more  from  the  inhabited  districts  into 
the  wilderness.  Where  they  are  preserved  by  order 
of  the  government,  all  unusual  damage  should  be  made 
good  by  the  state.  Wherever  game  is  protected  it  will 
do  some  damage  to  individuals  or  to  a  certain  part  of 
the  population — farmers,  for  instance. 

Baboons,  which  may  be  hunted  by  everybody,  are 
very  harmful  animals.  They  do  a  great  deal  of  damage 
to  the  millet-fields  and  to  other  cereals.  The  natives 
build  special  huts,  raised  on  poles,  and  put  guards  into 
them,  who,  by  their  noise,  try  to  keep  off  monkeys  and 

400 


GAME  LAWS  AND  PROTECTION  OF  WILD  ANIMALS 

birds.     Wild  pigs,  too,  must  be  prevented  from  rooting' 
up  the  fruits  of  the  fields,  especially  at  night. 

Besides,  there  are  many  rodents  and  lemurs  and  even 
small  antelopes  against  which  the  native  and  European 
settler  has  to  defend  his  plantations. 

The  other  animals  shun  the  habitations  of  man  and 
live  in  the  wide  steppe  where  they  do  no  harm.  Rhi- 
noceroses, in  particular,  avoid  inhabited  districts.  The 
same  can  be  said  of  the  species  of  large  antelopes  and  of 
giraffes.  Yet  Prince  Loewenstein  and  I  have  often 
been  obliged  to  refute  the  assertion  that  giraffes  injure 
the  trees  by  despoiling  them  of  their  leaves. 

To  destroy  the  fauna  of  Africa — with  the  exception 
of  very  few  animals — is  by  no  means  justified;  most 
animals  do  not  injure  .the  agricultural  development  of 
the  settled  districts. 

The  insects  and  small  animals  do  much  more  damage 
than  all  the  big  animals  combined.  The  greatest  ene- 
mies of  the  coffee  plantations,  for  instance,  are  the 
small  insects. 

It  has  been  claimed  that  the  killing  of  some  of  the 
larger  animals  is  justified  because  the  ticks  which  live 
on  them  spread  infectious  diseases.  Such  diseases  are, 
to  my  knowledge,  still  prevalent  in  South  Africa,  where 
the  big  game  has  been  exterminated  long  ago. 

The  large  beasts  of  prey,  as  far  as  they  live  in  the 
neighborhood  of  settlements,  are  unquestionably  a  dan- 
ger to  human  life  and  as  such  ought  to  be  destroyed, 
26  401 


WITH   FLASH-LIGHT    AND   RIFLE 

together  with  the  crocodiles  and  poisonous  snakes.  Re- 
wards need  not  to  be  paid  for  killing  them ;  the  settlers 
will  do  so  for  their  own  protection. 

In  general  I  would  say  that  animals  which  are  a 
menace  to  human  life  or  a  constant,  but  not  merely  oc- 
casional, danger  to  agriculture  should  be  exterminated. 
As  to  the  rest  of  the  beautiful  East  African  fauna,  it 
should  be  preserved,  because  in  the  wide  steppe  it  is 
harmless  to  man  and  his  pursuits. 


XXXII 

HUNTING    BY    THE    NATIVES 

OPINIONS  by  no  means  agree  as  to  the  effect  which 
the  hunting  by  the  natives  has  had  on  the  original 
wealth  of  the  African  fauna.  I  think  that  it  is  relatively 
harmless  as  long  as  it  is  not  done  by  means  of  fire-arms 
and  not  in  the  interest  of  trade.  In  this  opinion  I  find 
myself  in  accord  with  Count  Goetzen,  the  imperial  gov- 
ernor of  German  East  Africa,  and  with  the  former  vice- 
governor,  Mr.  von  Bennigsen. 

The  natives  have  hunted  for  thousands  of  years  be- 
fore the  European  invasion  into  the  "  Dark  Continent." 
Before  the  invaders  joined  in  the  hunt  there  was  a 
wealth  of  game  of  all  kinds,  and  not  a  single  species  was 
threatened  with  extermination. 

The  natives  follow  various  methods  of  hunting  ani- 
mals. They  use  the  bow-and-arrow  and  the  javelin, 
the  latter  especially  when  hunting  the  elephant. 

Noiselessly  the  poisoned  arrow  flies  from  the  bow 
without  warning  the  prey.  It  rarely  misses  its  aim. 
The  wounded  animal  is  easily  followed  and  found,  for 
sooner  or  later  the  poison  will  kill  it.     A  small  piece  of 

403 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

the  flesh  about  the  wound  is  cut  out,  and  the  rest  fur- 
nishes food  for  the  hunter  and  his  friends  and  family. 

The  natives  are  very  careful  in  handling  their  poisoned 
and  barbed  arrows,  which  are  carried  in  a  quiver. 

The  poison  is  procured  from  a  tree,  Acocanthera 
ahyssinica,  and  the  Wakamba  are  said  to  prepare  the 
strongest  kind  and  best  quality.  The  sticky,  black 
extract  is  smeared  on  the  arrow-head.  A  small  piece 
of  thin  leather  is  fitted  on  the  arrow-head  and  not  re- 
moved until  the  arrow  is  used.  I  once  procured  some 
poison  from  a  Ndorobbo,  whom  I  found  near  two  giraffes 
killed  by  his  arrows,  and  I  tried  its  power  on  a  hen  and 
a  white  vulture;  the  first  died  in  seven  minutes,  the 
latter  in  ten. 

Every  Wandorobbo  hunter  marks  his  arrows  and 
spears,  so  that  there  can  be  no  disputing  his  ownership 
of  missile  and  prey. 

All  kinds  of  animals  are  also  caught  by  the  natives 
in  skilfully- dug-out  and  well-concealed  pits — pits  meant 
for  large  beasts,  like  the  elephant  and  rhinoceros,  and 
dug  deep  in  front  and  in  the  rear,  so  that  the  trapped 
animal  is,  as  it  were,  suspended,  its  body  resting  on  the 
solid  middle  of  the  pit,  its  fore  and  hind  legs  hanging 
down  without  support.  In  this  position  the  big  cap- 
tive is  utterly  helpless  and  easily  killed.  The  pits  are 
so  cleverly  covered  with  branches  and  dry  grass  that 
even  the  wary  elephant  is  caught  in  them.  In  the  moist 
mountain  forests  of  the  Kilimanjaro  and  in  Niandi,  near 

404 


> 

H 

O 


> 

> 
< 

> 


405 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

the  Victoria  Nyanza,  I  found  the  cover  of  such  pits  so 
thickly  grown  over  with  moss  that  even  the  eye  of  the 
natives  could  not  distinguish  them  from  the  surround- 
ing ground.  These  pits  are  in  some  parts  of  the  steppe 
so  numerous  that  they  are  a  danger  to  the  explorer  and 
his  caravan.  In  them  are  caught,  indiscriminately, 
males,  females,  and  the  young,  while  the  hunter  cares 
chiefly  for  the  males.  I  often  advised  the  command- 
ants of  the  stations  of  pits  which  I  found  in  the  neigh- 
boring steppe,  but  it  is  hard  to  induce  the  natives  to 
give  up  this  destructive,  but  safe,  method  of  catching 
the  large  elephant  and  rhinoceros.  Lions  and  leopards 
are  rarely  caught  in  pitfalls. 

The  natives  are  also  exceedingly  skilled  in  the  con- 
struction and  use  of  all  kinds  of  traps.  Various  snares 
and  the  "switch-up"  are  calculated  to  catch  birds  and 
smaller  mammals,  including  dassies  and  pygmy  ante- 
lopes. I  have  also  seen  natives  driving  small  antelopes 
and  catching  them  in  nets. 

The  hunting  by  the  African  natives  becomes  destruc- 
tive to  the  fauna  of  their  country  if  it  is  done  by  other 
means  than  the  arrow,  the  spear,  the  pit,  and  the 
trap,  and  for  purposes  other  than  for  food  and  vest- 
ment. 

I  have  always  claimed  not  only  that  the  natives 
should  not  any  longer  be  supplied  with  fire-arms,  but 
that  they  should  be  deprived  of  those  which  already 
are  in  their  hands.     So  far  they  have  used  them  chiefly 

406 


HUNTING    BY    THE    NATIVES 

in  the  destruction  of  the  African  fauna  and  only  occa- 
sionally against  the  Europeans.  Not  only  for  its  own 
protection,  but  also  for  the  preservation  of  the  wealth 
of  animals,  which  is  still  great  in  East  Africa,  the  Ger- 
man colonial  government  should  disarm  the  natives 
completely. 

To  be  sure  the  fire  -  arms  used  by  the  natives  are 
old-fashioned,  discarded  muzzle-loaders.  I  have  often 
been  told  that  this  kind  of  fire-arms  is  less  dangerous 
in  the  hands  of  the  native  than  the  poisoned  arrow. 
But  even  granted  that  this  is  the  case,  it  is  not  wise  to 
allow  the  natives  at  the  present  stage  of  the  coloniza- 
tion of  East  Africa  to  become  acquainted  with  the  use 
of  any  kind  of  fire-arms.  The  possession  of  the  muzzle- 
loader  arouses,  doubtless,  the  desire  for  the  more  effec- 
tive breech-loading  rifle. 

There  are  at  least  fifty  thousand  muzzle-loading  fire- 
arms in  the  hands  of  the  natives  of  Wanyamwesi  and 
Unyamwesi,  and  the  government  is  short-sighted  enough 
to  allow  this  state  of  affairs,  and  even  sells  the  powder 
to  the  natives — at  a  large  profit.  It  is  short-sighted,  no. 
doubt;  it  may  some  day  prove  suicidal. 

The  Congo  Act,  1885,  embodies  an  international  agree- 
ment not  to  allow  the  natives  to  own  or  use  breech- 
loading  arms.  It  is  time  to  extend  this  prohibition  to 
all  fire-arms. 

The  German  colonial  government  has  tried  to  con- 
fiscate the  arms  of  the  rebellious  natives  near  the  Kili- 

407 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

manjaro,  but  has  been  only  partially  successful.  How 
difficult  it  is  to  collect  the  weapons  may  be  seen  from 
the  following  instance:  A  chief  had  repeatedly  been 
ordered  to  deliver  the  fire-arms  in  the  possession  of 
his  tribe  to  the  military  station.  He  denied  that  they 
had  any.  When  summoned  and  closely  questioned,  he 
admitted    there    were    four,    which    were    surrendered. 

-  The  officials  had  reliabk  information  that  there  were 
still  quite  a  number  of  rifles  hidden  in  the  chief's  dis- 
trict.    They  kept  him  a  prisoner,  and  told  his  people 

,  that  he  would  only  be  released  if  all  arms  were  given 
up.  Seventy-eight  more  pieces  were  brought  to  the 
station,  and  the  chief  was  set  free.     No  doubt  only  a 

.  small  fraction  of  the  fire-arms  possessed  by  the  tribe 
had  been  given  up. 

The  war  just  now  being  carried  on  against  the  Hereroes 
in  German  West  Africa  should  teach  the  German  colo- 
nial government  a  valuable  lesson.  It  is  impossible  to 
garrison  a  wild  country  like  German  East  Africa,  which 
is  twice  as  large  as  Germany,  much  less  to  wage  a  suc- 
cessful war  if  the  natives  are  fairly  well  armed,  as  there 
are  over  six  millions  of  them  against  twelve  hundred 

.  Europeans. 

The  natives  cherish  their  fire-arms  very  much  indeed, 
and,  from  their  point  of  view,  cannot  be  blamed  for 
their  unwillingness  to  give  them  up.  They  make  hunt- 
ing very  easy,  either  for  a  living  or  in  the  service  of 
traders  in  skins  and  teeth.     Besides,  they  can  use  them 

408 


ML: 


MASAI    AND    ELEPHANT     SKULL 


409 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

to  settle  their  grievances  against  one  another  and 
against  the  colonial  government. 

The  whole  public  and  social  organization  of  the 
native  tribes  is  to  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  they 
were,  from  ancient  times,  in  a  constant  state  of  war 
with  one  another.  Now  they  suddenly  are  asked  by 
strangers,  who  have  usurped  the  supreme  power,  to 
change  the  old-established  order  of  things.  The  chiefs, 
who  had  the  power  of  life  and  death  over  their  tribe, 
are  practically  dethroned,  and  thus  the  natives  are  un- 
controlled, and  will  soon  be  uncontrollable,  as  the  arm 
of  the  European  administration  cannot  reach  all  and 
every  one.  It  would  have  been  much  more  simple  and 
much  less  expensive  to  strengthen  the  authority  of  the 
chiefs  and  make  them  responsible  to  the  government. 
The  complex  European  method  of  administration  and 
military  government  is  not  only  expensive,  but  will 
some  day  prove  inefficient  and  dangerous. 

The  budget  of  the  colonial  government  of  German 
East  Africa  for  1901  shows  an  expenditure  of  $2,927,- 
400,  including  over  $1,000,000  for  railway  construction, 
and  about  $550,000  for  the  colonial  army,  which  num- 
bers 1700  men,  of  whom  1500  are  colored.  The  rev- 
enues for  the  same  year  amounted  to  $700,000,  neces- 
sitating an  imperial  subvention  of  over  $2,000,000.  It 
is  plain  that  it  is  rather  expensive  to  rule  such  an  ex- 
tended and  unfertile  territory  in  European  fashion. 

Again  I  repeat,  the  disarmament  of  the  natives  is  an 

410 


HUNTING    BY    THE    NATIVES 

economical  and  a  political  necessity.  The  natives  are 
very  secretive  and  discreet,  planning  and  preparing 
under  the  very  nose  of  the  Europeans,  who  are  al- 
ways surprised  by  the  sudden  revolts. 

When  the  uprisings  near  the  Kilimanjaro  in  1896  and 
1899  occurred,  neither  the  government  nor  the  mis- 
sion stations  expected  them,  and  were  completely  taken 
by  surprise.  Fort  Moschi  was  saved  by  mere  chance. 
The  so-called  Christians  among  the  blacks  were  in  the 
secret,  and  kept  it  well;  in  fact,  they  were  to  kill  the 
missionaries — as  they  could  easily  get  near  them — after 
the  fall  of  the  fort. 

The  interests  of  the  white  settlers  and  the  natives 
clash  in  many  ways,  and  will  do  so  still  more  as  Euro- 
pean civiHzation  and  ideas  and  ideals  spread.  Friction 
will  arise  even  without  governmental  misadministra- 
tion,  wilful  or  unintentional. 

The  German  government  in  East  Africa  might,  with 
great  profit,  follow  the  example  of  its  English  neighbor 
and  even  go  beyond  it. 

For  years  the  English  government  has  allowed  offi- 
cials, travellers,  and  settlers  to  import  for  their  own 
use  only  a  limited  number  of  cartridges.  If  the  natives 
are  denied  the  use  of  any  fire-arms  whatsoever,  and  if 
the  white  officials,  settlers,  and  explorers  are  restricted 
in  the  number  of  cartridges  they  may  use  for  self-defence 
and  legitimate  hunting,  then  the  fauna  of  Africa  will  have 
a  chance  to  hold  its  own  in  the  struggle  for  existence. 

411 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

To  what  extent  fire  -  arms  are  handed  over  to  the 
natives  of  Africa,  in  certain  districts,  may  be  read  in  a 
recently  published  book  by  Alfred  Kaiser,  on  Kamerun, 
according  to  which,  within  the  past  two  years,  forty 
thousand  muzzle-loading  guns  were  imported  and  sold 
to  the  natives,  together  with  four  hundred  thousand 
pounds  of  gunpowder. 

In  South  Africa  the  country  was  despoiled  of  its  ani- 
mal wealth  largely  by  natives  hunting  with  fire-arms  in 
the  service  of  traders. 

May  the  fauna  of  German  East  Africa  be  spared  a 
similar  fate!  The  way  to  accomplish  this,  and  also  to 
assure  a  peaceful  development  of  the  colony,  may  be 
indicated  by  three  words: 

DISARM   THE   NATIVES 


XXXIII 

THE    MASAI :    A    WARLIKE     PEOPLE    OF    HERDSMEN 

THE  Masai  who  inhabit  the  high-plateau  steppe  of 
British  and  German  East  Africa,  and  who  are  a 
warlike  people  of  herdsmen,  have  until  very  recently 
been  considered  a  mixed  Ethiopian-Negro  people.  In 
1896  Captain  Merker,  of  the  protective  troops,  and  I 
already  had  our  doubts  about  this  racial  designation. 
We  agreed  that  their  features  were  rather  more  Semitic 
than  Hamitic. 

Captain  Merker,  who  made  a  special  study  of  this 
highly  interesting  subject,  has  published  the  result  of 
his  investigation  in  a  book  on  the  Masai.  He  has 
arrived  at  the  conclusion  that,  at  a  time  which  ante- 
dates the  oldest  Egyptian  documents,  they  emigrated 
from  Arabia  by  way  of  Egypt  into  tropical  Africa,  and 
had  lived  in  the  high-plateau  region  for  centuries,  in 
the  main  leading  the  life  of  nomadic  herdsmen.  Merker 
has  also  collected  material  to  prove  that  the  Masai, 
whose  religion  is  monotheistic,  are  descended  from  the 
same  Semitic  stock  of  nomads  who  are  also  the  ances- 
tors of  the  Hebrew  nation  of  herdsmen.     He  further  is 

413 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

convinced  that  the  men  of  the  steppe  were  acquainted 
with  the  most  ancient  biblical  myths  before  these  were 
known  in  Babylon. 

The  pure-blooded  tribes  of  the  Masai  have  clear-cut 
features,  well-formed  feet  and  hands,  and  are  of  mag- 
nificent physique,  not  one  of  the  warrior  class  being 
under  six  feet  in  height. 

Although  Merker's  views  may  not  be  shared  "  in  toto  " 
by  scientists,  he  deserves  high  credit  for  having  devoted 
every  leisure  hour,  while  he  was  stationed  in  Masailand, 
to  the  study  of  this  interesting  people,  their  institutions, 
customs,  and  language. 

The  Masai,  since  time  immemorial,  have  been  the 
nomads  and  the  rulers  of  the  high  steppe  of  East  Africa. 
Their  warriors,  "El  morane,"  roamed  over  the  whole 
country  keeping  the  other  tribes  in  subjection,  and  en- 
riching their  own  people's  cattle-herds  by  fair  or  foul 
means,  for  it  cannot  be  denied  that  the  Masai  have 
made  of  cattle-stealing  a  fine  art.  But,  just  as  the  ad- 
vance of  civilization  was  fatal  to  the  North  American 
Indian,  so  the  Masai  suffer  from  coming  in  contact  with 
the  white  man  and  from  being  subjected  to  his  rule. 
Their  very  being,  their  existence  as  a  people,  depends 
on  their  manner  of  living  in  the  wide  steppe.  If  de- 
prived of  their  unbounded  liberty,  or  checked  in  it, 
they  will  surely  disappear  as  a  people.  We  cannot  help 
sympathizing  with  them  in  their  plight,  as  we  did  with 
the  Indian  heroes  of  Cooper's  novels,   for  we  admire 

414 


THE   MASAI 

individual  bravery  and  the  warlike  spirit  of  nations, 
wherever  it  manifests  itself,  even  when  it  is  directed 
against  ourselves. 

Here  we  see  a  people  which  ages  ago  came  from  its 
distant  home,  fought  its  way  through  hostile  nations, 
and  chose  the  limitless  steppe  for  its  abode;  a  people 
which  has  led  for  many  centuries  the  freest  life  im- 
aginable, that  of  a  nomadic  warrior  nation,  ruling  the 
country  far  and  wide.  To-day  the  Masai  warrior  is 
still  the  proudest  of  men,  confiding  in  his  strength, 
fearing  no  danger,  and  looking  down  on  all  tribes  not 
so  warlike  as  his  own. 

The  Masai  love  their  country,  and  know  it  well. 
Their  senses  are  almost  as  keen  as  those  of  the  animals 
of  the  steppe.  Once  a  six-year-old  Masai  child,  straying 
away  from  camp,  found  its  way  through  the  pathless 
"pori,"  the  thorny  steppe,  to  its  village,  which  was  two 
days'  distant.  The  power  of  this  warrior  nation  was 
broken  by  two  agencies,  the  small-caliber,  long-range 
breech-loader  of  the  European  invader  and  the  mur- 
rain. The  Masai,  with  his  primitive  spear  and  shield, 
was  no  match  for  the  usurper  armed  with  modern 
fire-arms.  The  rinderpest,  which  about  two  decades 
ago  ravaged  the  whole  East  African  steppe,  destroyed 
with  one  blow  the  economic  basis  of  the  Masai's  exist- 
ence, the  cattle-herds.  The  famine  carried  off  the  bulk 
of  the  nation,  men,  women,  and  children  starving  to 
death.     Onlv  a  few  hundred  thousand  Masai  are  left. 

415 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

Some  have  been  forced  to  become  agriculturists ;  but 
they  cannot  change  the  habits  acquired  in  centuries 
in  a  few  years.  Like  the  North  American  Indian,  they 
are  doomed  to  vanish  from  the  face  of  the  globe. 

I  have  lived  among  the  Masai,  have  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  learning  to  know  them  and  their  ways,  and  I 
can  only  think  with  a  deep  feeling  of  sadness  of  their 
fate.  I  can  see,  in  my  mind's  eye,  the  stalwart,  bronze- 
colored  "  El  morane  "  sitting  around  my  camp-fire,  spear 
and  shield  in  arm,  humming  their  ancient  war- songs. 
What  could  we  Europeans  have  accomplished  against 
them  had  we  fought  them  with  spear  and  shield?  I 
never  felt  a  grudge  against  them  even  when  they  did 
attack  me,  once  in  a  while,  at  night  to  steal  my  cattle. 
I  could  not  blame  them  either  when  they  tried  to  rid 
themselves  of  their  masters,  whom  they  had  not  in- 
vited to  come,  and  who  were  depriving  them  of  their 
ancient  prerogatives  as  the  ruling  warrior  nation.  They 
are  still  looking  forward  to  the  appearance  of  a  great 
chief,  a  deliverer,  who  w^as  predicted  by  their  greatest 
chief,  Mbatyan,  a  hundred  years  ago.  How  the  Masai 
cling  to  their  ingrained  customs!  And  who  would 
blame  them? 

A  Masai  boy  had'  been  in  the  service  of  a  German 
official  for  many  years,  had  also  been  repeatedly  in 
Germany,  and  spoke  German  so  well  that  he  could  ex- 
press himself  in  Berlinese  slang.  The  "ol  aijoni"  (boy) 
had  grown  into  an  "ol  barnoti"  and  left  his  master's 

416 


> 

> 


> 
o 


27 


417 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

service.  Some  years  later  a  European  found  him  in 
company  with  other  Masai.  He  had  discarded  his 
European  clothes  and  donned  an  "El  morane's"  cos- 
tume. He  had  chosen  to  leave  civilization  behind  and 
live  among  his  people  as  one  of  them.  He  said  so  in 
good  Berlinese  jargon. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  answer  which  one  of  my 
Masai  friends  gave  to  one  of  my  carriers  who  had  asked 
him  how  he  could  dare  to  put  his  arm  into  a  beehive 
to  secure  the  honey-comb.  "  Carrying  heavy  loads  is 
your  business;  mine  is  to  rove  over  the  wide  steppe. 
The  bees  sting  you;  they  love  me." 

The  Masai  do  not  keep  slaves;  they  themselves  love 
liberty  too  well.  Two  Masai  guides,  whom  I  paid  when 
we  reached  the  coast,  used  their  earnings  to  free  an 
old  Masai  woman,  a  slave  in  the  service  of  a  negro  in 
Pangani.  But  ^  other  tribes,  other  views!  My  old 
caravan  guide,  "Maftar,"  a  Suaheli,  declined  my  offer 
to  buy  his  liberty  from  his  Arabian  master;  he  said 
he  would  under  no  condition  cause  his  master  the  pain 
of  losing  an  old  servant. 

All  in  all,  the  Masai,  in  spite  of  their  faults,  are  a 
splendid  people,  and  I  can  fully  appreciate  the  wish  of 
a  friend  who  knew  them  well:  "  If  I  were  not  what  I 
am,  I  should  like  to  be  a  '  Masai-El  Morane '  of  the  good 
old  time." 

The  successful  administration  and  government  of  a 
strange  country  depend,  without  doubt,  on  a  thorough 

418 


THE    MASAI 

knowledge  of  the  inhabitants,  their  peculiar  nature  and 
institutions.    Know  in  ore ler  to  govern,  and  govern  wisely. 

So  alone  can  unnecessary  friction  and  conflicts  be 
avoided  which  may  lead  to  bloody  and  costly  wars, 
costly  in  treasure  and  human  life.  It  is  a  mistake  to 
simply  transplant  European  methods  of  administration 
to  Africa.  One  of  the  most  objectionable  features  is 
the  constant  change  of  officials  from  station  to  station. 
On  the  contrary,  they  should  stay  and  familiarize  them- 
selves with  local  conditions,  especially  the  character  of 
the  native  tribes  near  the  station. 

East  Africa  will  hardly  ever  be  developed  by  im- 
migration from  Europe.  The  country  is  unhealthy, 
and  will  always  be  so  for  the  men  from  higher  latitudes. 
It  can  only  be  developed  by  raising  the  native  tribes 
to  a  higher  level  of  civilization,  as  we  understand  it. 
But  this  demands  time  and  patience,  close  study  of  all 
the  conditions  and  of  the  means  to  improve  them. 
Force  will  destroy  the  natives,  and  with  them  the 
future  of  the  country.  We  must  educate  them  along 
the  lines  of  least  resistance  by  trying  to  cultivate  the 
faculties  they  possess,  in  order  to  achieve  our  own 
ends.     This  is  a  noble  aim.     Let  us  strive  for  it. 

The  remotest  regions  of  the  earth  are  opening  slowly 
but  surely  to  the  explorer.  The  advance  of  prog- 
ress and  civilization  is  steady  and  irresistible.  Not 
very  long  ago  the  English  battered  down  the  wall  that 
had  surrounded  Tibet  and  had  made  it  the  least  known 

419 


WITH    FLASH-LIGHT    AND    RIFLE 

of  Asiatic  countries,  almost  as  little  known  as  darkest 
Africa.  Both  continents  are  now  giving  up  their  se- 
crets to  science.  Not  long  ago  the  scientific  world  was 
surprised  by  the  discovery  of  two  hitherto  unknown 
mammals,  one  found  in  Asia,  the  other  in  Africa,  the 
Budorcas  taxicolor  Hodgs.  and  the  okapi. 

While  the  age  of  discovery  has  wellnigh  passed  for 
Africa,  many  questions  regarding  its  animal  life  are  to 
be  answered. 

According  to  Professor  Reichenow  there  are  supposed 
to  be  still  two  hundred  different  kinds  of  birds  unknown 
to  ornithologists. 

Much  is  also  to  be  done  for  the  preservation  of  the 
existing  fauna. 

No  effective  remedies  have  yet  been  found  to  fight  the 
periodically  recurring  murrain,  the  rinderpest,  which 
does  irredeemable  damage. 

Whenever  I  travel,  in  spirit,  over  those  far-away 
regions,  I  think  of  the  many  friends  who  have  shared 
my  hardships  and  pleasures,  my  failures  and  successes. 
I  think  also  of  my  faithful  companions,  my  trusty  guides, 
and  patient  carriers,  particularly  those  who  were  with 
me  on  all  my  expeditions.  Many  gave  their  lives  for 
me,  stricken  down  by  enemies  or  by  the  treacherous  fever. 
Their  bones  may  bleach  in  the  tropical  sun,  but  the  mem- 
ory of  their  devotion  will  never  pale.  Like  many  other 
travellers  in  the  service  of  science,  I  have  given  the  best 
I  had  in  exploring  unknown  regions.     The  Nyika  has 

420 


THE    MASAI 

sapped  some  of  my  vitality,  no  doubt,  and  yet  I  do 
not  regret  the  hours  I  spent  there.  I  cherish  them, 
for  they  were  fraught  with  hours  of  great  joy,  a  joy 
which  I  had  earned  by  the  use  of  aU  my  faculties  of 
body  and  mind. 

I  see  before  me,  in  my  mind's  eye,  the  endless  steppe, 
now  flooded  with  sunshine,  now  in  the  magic  light  of  the 
moon,  now  lying  under  a  gloomy,  cloudy  sky,  now  swept 
by  wind  and  rain  and  storm,  always  grand  and  beautiful. 
What  would  I  not  often  give  for  just  one  hour  away  from 
civilization  in  the  endless,  the  beautiful,  the  grand,  the 
German  Masai-Nyika! 


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